Sangha Trinational

Local communities and Indigenous people's (IPLC) involvement is generally limited, and there are substantial differences in the degree of participation in each component of the property. There are supervising bodies in which local representatives are present and there is increased effort to include all stakeholders in the planning and evaluation of activities. In CAR, two representatives of the Ba'aka Indigenous peoples now sit on the APDS Monitoring Committee, following the 2020 Wildlife Management Code. In Congo, two IPLC representatives sit on the Board of Directors of the Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, while Indigenous peoples are included among the park's staff. Multi-stakeholder platforms exist but need improvement in their operation. Consultation often applies Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) methods. Several local NGOs and associations are directly included in the TNS activities, such as ASBABUK, NDIMA KALI, or local hunting committees.

The TNS is recognized as a model for transboundary collaboration within the COMIFAC (Central African Forest Commission). The TNS is governed by several agreements that define its functioning, accompanied by several bodies to ensure their implementation. A Tri-National cooperation agreement between the three governments, signed in 2000, establishes shared governance and management of the three protected areas. This agreement has facilitated joint conservation efforts, including anti-poaching operations, biodiversity monitoring, and ecosystem management. A Tri-National agreement on anti-poaching activities was signed in 2005 (including provision for a Tri-National Brigade, with a base near where the three parks meet on the Sangha River). This agreement formalizes the principle of joint bi- or tri-national patrols that have been conducted for the past decade. A Tri-National agreement on the cross-border movement of TNS parks personnel in 2007. The protocol on the organisation and the functioning of the tri-national anti-poaching brigade was signed in 2010. The Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the tri-national scientific committee of the TNS was finalised in 2019, along with a Memorandum of Understanding on the movement of tourists in the TNS. A Trinational Committee of Supervision and of Arbitrage (CTSA) has been developed as the supreme decision body of the TNS, composed of ministers in charge of Wildlife and Forests of the States Parties and the Executive Secretary of OCFSA as rapporteur. Despite these strengths, there are gaps in the legal framework that hinder more effective conservation. Variations in the enforcement and implementation of national laws between the three countries can lead to inconsistencies in protection and enforcement across the TNS. For example, differences in anti-poaching strategies, timber trade regulations, and land-use policies can create loopholes that undermine transboundary efforts. Additionally, the legal framework has not always been effective in ensuring the equitable involvement of local and Indigenous communities in management and decision-making processes. Strengthening coordination, harmonizing laws, and creating more inclusive legal mechanisms for local stakeholders would enhance the overall effectiveness of the TNS's legal framework.

There is strong and committed joint management across the national boundaries of the three contiguous parks established under the Forest laws of all three State Parties to coordinate the property's management, conservation, law enforcement, monitoring, tourism, and research. A Trinational Supervision and Arbitration Committee set up in 2000 brings the three countries together at the ministerial level. A Trinational Monitoring Committee does the same at the regional administrative level and a Trinational Planning & Execution Committee holds biannual park managers meetings at the management and implementation level. The parks were established between 1990 and 2002 under the forest and fauna laws of the three states. Their staff are provided by their governments, international agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

The existence of the Tri-National agreements, and the regular submission of a joint report on the state of conservation of the site, is an indication of a certain level of political commitment to integration in regional planning systems. However inter-ministerial collaboration and communication are very weak, particularly for infrastructure development (roads) and extractive industries. As a result, major decisions in these sectors are taken without any consultation with TNS actors. The TNS transboundary cooperation faces challenges in harmonizing policies and enforcement across Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo. Variations in anti-poaching laws, timber trade regulations, and penalties create inconsistencies in conservation efforts, allowing illegal activities to exploit these gaps. A unified legal framework and standardized enforcement measures would strengthen protection across the entire landscape.

The TNS World Heritage site is situated in a much larger TNS landscape. The boundaries of the nominated property are defined by the legal extent of the three existing national parks: Lobéké National Park in Cameroon, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Congo, and Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic. In the case of Lobéké National Park, they follow water courses or dirt roads. As for Nouabaké-Ndoki and Dzanga-Ndoki National Parks, in some cases, administrative or geographical limits are used (IUCN, 2012). At least 50% of the TNS boundaries are “artificial” in that they do not follow natural features. Most are poorly marked (if at all) and therefore require considerable resources to maintain. Recently, efforts have been made to mark the borders, and here an effort should be made to maintain ecological connectivity (e.g. only painting trees and not creating a fence). In each country, there is a defined buffer zone around the TNS protected area, mainly comprised of logging concessions, of which some are certified. Collaboration with TNS PA managers is moderate, and unregulated activities in the buffer zone, and failure to follow best practices risks compromising its effectiveness for site protection.

The Sangha-Nouabalé-Ndoki Ramsar Site in the Republic of Congo, designated in 2009, encompasses parts of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, highlighting the global importance of its wetlands for biodiversity conservation, including critical habitats for aquatic species, migratory birds, and large mammals.
Additionally, the Ramsar-designated Sangha River Site in Cameroon, recognized in 2008, includes the wetlands of Lobéké National Park. These wetlands are vital for hydrological regulation, carbon storage, and as a refuge for endangered species such as forest elephants and western lowland gorillas.

Requests to the States Parties so far have largely been implemented; nonetheless, new concerns such as roads and infrastructure development have
emerged and remain to be dealt with. So far, the States Parties of the Economic Community of Central
African States (ECCAS) have adopted a short-term Extreme Emergency Anti-Poaching Plan (PEXULAB)
and a medium and long-term Emergency Anti-Poaching Plan (PAULAB) (UNESCO, 2014). All three States
Parties have also taken measures to ensure security in the area of the property by working with their
respective military (UNESCO, 2017). In 2025, the World Heritage Committee requested the States Parties to continue to implement the recommendations of the 2016 Reactive Monitoring mission and to provide a full report on the status of implementation of each of its recommendations (UNESCO,2025).

The Sangha Trinational (TNS), currently lacks a comprehensive system to measure and monitor the effects of climate change on its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). While the region's biodiversity and ecosystems are recognized for their global significance, there is an absence of targeted climate monitoring frameworks specifically designed to assess climate-related impacts on the site's unique attributes. Existing conservation efforts primarily focus on immediate threats such as poaching and illegal resource extraction, with limited integration of climate change considerations (IUCN, 2020).

In terms of management strategies supporting global climate action, the TNS has engaged in initiatives aimed at enhancing conservation and promoting sustainable practices. Projects like the Strengthening Transboundary Conserved Area Management of the Sangha Tri-National (TNS), supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), emphasize sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation, which contribute indirectly to climate change mitigation by preserving carbon sinks (WWF, 2021). However, explicit actions focusing on climate adaptation, mitigation, communication, and innovation should be prominently featured in the site's management plans under development. To align more closely with global climate action goals, it is imperative to develop and implement strategies that directly address climate change impacts, incorporating adaptive management practices and fostering resilience within the site's ecosystems and surrounding communities.

Although significant progress was reported in 2022, the updating of the management plans for the property's components is ongoing: in Cameroon, the revision is currently being finalized, while a new plan is awaiting validation in Congo. In CAR, the plan expired in December 2020; a review has just begun, with the launch of work to draw up a simple management plan for the Community Hunting Zone (States Parties of Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Congo, 2022). The three sites are managed independently under various protected area management models: a public-private partnership in Nouabalé-Ndoki with an operational unit under the lead of WCS; a co-management system under the lead of WWF in Dzanga Sangha, and a state-managed (MINFOF) in Lobéké national park with technical assistance by WWF. The management of the buffer zones is even more diverse, with a dedicated buffer zone project in the CIB logging concessions around Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park (NNNP). The TNS has various supervising and executing organs that meet irregularly, and there is transboundary collaboration in various aspects of the management of the TNS. However, there is substantial room for improvement and intensification of the collaboration, as the activities are not always planned in collaboration. Stakeholder participation in the planning and execution of activities remains limited. Although local communities and indigenous people are generally underrepresented in supervising boards, they are gradually being included in decision-making boards in the CAR and Congo components of the property.

The national budgets for the parks are small at present. Most of the funding is from international agencies, NGOs and logging and sport hunting concessionaires who pay the salaries of the anti-poaching guards. The TNS benefits from a well-structured mechanism for sustainable finance, primarily through the Sangha Trinational Foundation (FTNS). Established in 2007, the current capital is about €20 million (US\$28million) mostly from the German Development Bank (KfW), l’Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the private German Regenwald-Stiftung (rainforest foundation) and is estimated to cover present needs. The FTNS serves as the principal financial tool for ensuring long-term conservation and management of the TNS. It mobilizes resources from a variety of international donors, including governmental agencies, conservation organizations, and private foundations. The trust fund provides financial support for essential activities such as anti-poaching operations, biodiversity monitoring, community development, and transboundary coordination. This relatively stable funding mechanism allows for continuity in conservation efforts, reducing dependence on inconsistent external funding and enabling more predictable financial planning for the TNS.

Despite its achievements, the current funding is not sufficient to fully address all the challenges facing the TNS. Gaps remain in financing critical areas such as community development projects, capacity building for park staff, and advanced technologies for conservation monitoring. Additionally, revenue-generating activities like eco-tourism have not yet reached their full potential due to limited infrastructure and regional instability. Expanding funding sources, such as payments for ecosystem services, carbon credit schemes, and partnerships with the private sector, could help bridge these gaps. A stronger focus on financial transparency, equitable distribution, and community engagement in financial decisions would further enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of the financial system supporting the TNS.

The national budgets for the parks are small at present. Most of the funding is from international agencies, NGOs and logging and sport hunting concessionaires who pay the salaries of the anti-poaching guards. The TNS benefits from a well-structured mechanism for sustainable finance, primarily through the Sangha Trinational Trust Fund (TNS Trust Fund). Established in 2007, the current capital is about €20 million (US\$28million) mostly from the German Development Bank (KfW), l’Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the private German Regenwald-Stiftung (rainforest foundation) and is estimated to cover present needs. The TNS Trust Fund serves as the principal financial tool for ensuring long-term conservation and management of the TNS. It mobilizes resources from a variety of international donors, including governmental agencies, conservation organizations, and private foundations. The trust fund provides financial support for essential activities such as anti-poaching operations, biodiversity monitoring, community development, and transboundary coordination. This stable funding mechanism allows for continuity in conservation efforts, reducing dependence on inconsistent external funding and enabling more predictable financial planning for the TNS.

Despite its achievements, the current funding is not sufficient to fully address all the challenges facing the TNS. Gaps remain in financing critical areas such as community development projects, capacity building for park staff, and advanced technologies for conservation monitoring. Additionally, revenue-generating activities like eco-tourism have not yet reached their full potential due to limited infrastructure and regional instability. Expanding funding sources, such as payments for ecosystem services, carbon credit schemes, and partnerships with the private sector, could help bridge these gaps. A stronger focus on financial transparency, equitable distribution, and community engagement in financial decisions would further enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of the financial system supporting the TNS.

Approximately 300 management and administrative staff are provided by governments or are supported by international conservation agencies from the U.S.A., Europe and private foundations. Lobéké National Park has a permanent staff of about 40 including a conservateur, a head of patrols and 24 guards. WWF with the German development agency, GIZ provides a biologist, 3 advisors, 2 monitors and 7 technicians through the Djengi project. National forestry and wildlife and provincial agency staff plus community associations help with anti-poaching activities. There are 3 guard stations.

Dzanga-Ndoki National Park has a staff of 148 of which only ten are government funded: one conservateur and 9 guards; another ten are funded from tourism revenues. WWF supports 129 staff in every technical capacity, aided in the buffer areas by village chiefs and community associations. Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park has 18 staff: one conservateur with 2 assistants and 2 patrol leaders, a medical nurse and 12 guards. The long established Wildlife Conservation Society Congo Program supports 7 scientific and technical advisors and around 50 permanent staff. With the Congo Forestry Society and local assistance it helps to control sport hunting in the buffer zone. However ensuring follow-up and supervision of staff has proven to be challenging over the years. The absence of adequate motivation and career development possibilities (stable and secure salaries, appropriate working conditions, career advancement possibilities) is a problem that the respective governments need to address in order to maintain standards and avoid a stop-start approach to staff development. This has led to high turnover of national staff and recruitment of expat personnel, particularly in DS and NNNP. Efforts have been made to better equip park staff (IUCN Consultation, 2020).

The Sangha Trinational (TNS) has implemented education and awareness programs aimed at enhancing stakeholders' understanding of the site's values. These initiatives include environmental education activities, school-based programs, and literacy initiatives that particularly benefit Indigenous communities, fostering a deeper appreciation for the region's rich biodiversity and cultural heritage. Additionally, awareness campaigns and workshops organized by conservation NGOs and park authorities promote the importance of the TNS’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), contributing to greater community engagement and stewardship of the protected areas (UNEP-WCMC, 2023).

Regarding education on sustainable resource use, the TNS has developed targeted programs to inform local populations about regulations governing the utilization of natural resources within the site. These programs aim to balance conservation objectives with the livelihoods of local communities by promoting sustainable practices and compliance with established guidelines. Community-based natural resource management workshops, coupled with outreach activities, help build capacity for sustainable livelihoods, reduce pressures on biodiversity, and foster local ownership of conservation initiatives. By integrating educational initiatives with resource management strategies, the TNS strives to ensure the long-term preservation of its OUV while supporting the well-being of its inhabitants (UNEP-WCMC, 2023).

The TNS is one of the rare forest protected areas in the Congo basin that has genuine tourism potential. This is because of the abundance of forest clearings (bais) which attract large numbers of large emblematic mammal species, including lowland gorillas, forest elephants, forest buffalo, bongo, sitatunga, giant forest hog, and parrots. In APDS and NNNP, there are also habituated groups of gorillas that are used for gorilla tracking. However, tourism in Central Africa remains a serious challenge, and consequently, tourism numbers are low. Whenever they rise, some events result in dramatic drops, such as political unrest in CAR, Ebola, COVID-19, and tourism closure (in NNNP) due to security reasons (aggressive elephants). Thus, the destination remains high risk (security, access, reliability of local operators) for most international tourism operators, and the market will not develop fully until this situation changes. Operational costs are also high, and private investors are lacking. A TNS tourism strategy has been produced, and there has been investment in tourism infrastructure (accommodation, viewing platforms, trails), and a protocol for tourist movement in the TNS has been agreed (UNESCO and IUCN, 2016). More recently, there has been an improvement of tourism infrastructure in Dzanga Sangha, and starting in Nouabalé-Ndoki and all actors are encouraged to collaborate beyond focusing solely on their individual businesses. Improvement of visitor management related to security and health aspects is required, particularly when dealing with habituated gorillas. There is also a need for more comprehensive management plans to regulate visitor numbers and minimize ecological impacts, such as habitat disturbance and waste generation. Strengthening tourism marketing, improving infrastructure, and ensuring benefits are equitably shared with local communities and Indigenous people will be crucial for enhancing tourism in the TNS while safeguarding its ecological integrity (IUCN Consultation, 2020).

The Sangha Trinational (TNS), incorporates sustainable resource use into its management plans for Lobéké, Dzanga-Ndoki, and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Parks. These plans, although outdated and under review were developed with local communities and stakeholders, and aim to balance conservation goals with the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples, ensuring resource extraction does not compromise the site's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) (IUCN, 2020).

While mechanisms such as community-based natural resource management programs and sustainable practices in surrounding logging concessions are in place, their effectiveness varies. Illegal activities like poaching, unauthorized hunting, and uncontrolled resource extraction, particularly of gold and diamonds, pose significant threats to biodiversity. These threats are worsened by expanding road networks that provide easier access to remote areas (CIFOR-ICRAF, 2013).

Addressing these challenges requires stronger law enforcement, enhanced community involvement in sustainable livelihoods, and improved cross-border cooperation. Indigenous peoples and local communities have recognized rights to access resources within the TNS under regulated conditions, with participatory management approaches playing a key role in balancing conservation with cultural and livelihood needs (IUCN, 2020).

Monitoring activities are conducted in all three parks and the buffer zones. Monitoring focuses particularly on populations of the emblematic wildlife species, such as forest elephants and great apes, using standardized methodology across all sites. Large-scale systematic wildlife surveys require considerable resources (time, people, funds), so it is not possible for these to be undertaken more than once every four or five years (and sometimes longer - for previous survey work see Maisels et al. 2012; Nzooh et al., 2006, 2009, Princée, 2013, N'Goran et al. 2016, Nzooh Dogma et al, 2016). Elephant monitoring work continues (Turkalo, 2018); however, other species (gorillas, chimps, bongo, etc.) require long-term monitoring. Wildlife surveys provide the most reliable data on wildlife abundance and illegal activities. However, these periodic wildlife surveys, looking at wildlife and hunting abundance indices, are conducted during different time periods and apply different conversion factors (to convert indirect signs such as dung and nests into animal numbers). In the future, it is hoped that all three parks conduct a single inventory at a given time (which also removes the issue of elephant movements). Other monitoring methods, such as camera traps and acoustic monitoring to estimate elephant and large mammal numbers, are promising, and once these pilot studies are concluded, it is hoped that they can be integrated into a TNS landscape monitoring approach. Several forest clearings are regularly monitored as the frequency of use is a good indicator of the population status of the key large mammal species. TNS's current LEM monitoring system is not yet sufficiently effective to provide the quality of empirical data on the levels of poaching and wildlife abundance that systematic surveys provide. Other parameters that are monitored are tree phenology, community hunting, safari trophies, socio-economic parameters, demography, and climate data. In particular, socioeconomic monitoring is not linked to ecological status, and promising monitoring, such as fishery data, is not continuous. A transmissible disease monitoring program for great apes and park staff has also been operational for several years. In preparation for the synchronized wildlife inventories in 2025, harmonized methodologies (transect and camera-trap) have been adopted, and a single database has been created for the whole property. Nevertheless, there remains a need to strengthen synergies, coordination, and harmonization of monitoring and data analysis between the three parks, and it is hoped that the newly established scientific committee makes that a priority. Improvement is needed to include research and monitoring results in the general management (albeit that is done for anti-poaching operations). Furthermore, monitoring concentrates on the emblematic species and does not directly measure the status of the OUV of the TNS; thus, more efforts need to be conducted to measure integrity and connectivity, water quality, and evolutionary and ecological processes (IUCN Consultation, 2020).

Research in the TNS over the past 20 years by many scientists and organizations has revealed many remarkable insights into ecology and behaviour of forest animal species (including forest elephant, lowland gorillas, chimpanzees and bongo) and general forest ecology. Of particular interest is the discovery of tool-using in both gorillas and chimpanzees. The presence of research activities contributes significantly to the protection of sites where research is ongoing. The famous Dzanga and Mbeli bais in APDS and NNNP, where long term elephant and gorilla research has been conducted for many years, are particularly good examples of researcher presence improving the protection of an area. Also data from habituated gorillas and chimpanzees is providing crucial information on their natural history. The understanding of elephant biology is increasing, due to long-term research. There are various other research activities, too numerous to outline (a list of scientific references is provided in the “Proposition d’inscription”, pp 121-152, as well as in the references section of this assessment). Some research is also being conducted near Nouabalé-Ndoki on human-elephant conflict. The newly established scientific committee should make an effort to establish a targeted research programme as part of the adaptive management system of the TNS and establish cooperation programmes with academic and/or research centres.

The Sangha Trinational (TNS), has established a robust management system to address external threats to the protected area. This system includes a legal framework, key governance bodies such as the Tri-national Committee for Supervision and Arbitration (CTPE), and dedicated financial resources like the Sangha Tri-National Trust Fund (FTNS), which was established in 2007 to support long-term conservation efforts (IUCN, 2020). The TNS operates with a common action plan that outlines strategies for conservation and sustainable resource use, with financial backing ensuring consistent management.

The effectiveness of the management system is demonstrated through cross-border collaboration, including joint patrols and socio-economic studies to reduce external threats such as poaching and illegal resource extraction. The FTNS has been instrumental in securing funding for these initiatives, contributing to the TNS's success in addressing threats from outside the site (Fondation TNS, 2020). While the governance structures and resource allocation are solid, ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation, particularly in law enforcement and community engagement, are essential to enhance the effectiveness of the TNS management system in the long term (IUCN, 2020).

The Sangha Trinational (TNS), has established a collaborative management framework to address internal threats. This framework is underpinned by intergovernmental agreements that demonstrate political commitment to coordinated conservation efforts. However, the translation of this commitment into effective on-the-ground actions remains a challenge. Enhancements in government funding, capacity building for park personnel, and robust law enforcement are essential to bolster management effectiveness (IUCN, 2020).

Financial sustainability is a critical component of effective management. The establishment of the Sangha Tri-National Trust Fund (FTNS) in 2007 represents a significant step toward securing long-term funding for conservation, eco-development, and cooperative activities within the TNS. As of January 2020, the FTNS had amassed a capital endowment of €67.5 million, indicating substantial progress toward financial stability. This financial foundation is anticipated to enhance management effectiveness by ensuring consistent support for essential conservation initiatives (FTNS, 2020).

Despite these advancements, the TNS continues to face significant threats, including poaching, illegal resource extraction, and habitat degradation. Addressing these issues necessitates not only increased political commitment but also concrete actions such as improved inter-ministerial cooperation within each country and effective law enforcement strategies. Furthermore, the involvement and representation of local and indigenous communities in the management process are crucial for the site's long-term conservation (IUCN, 2020).

In conclusion, while the TNS has made commendable strides in establishing a cooperative management system and securing financial resources, translating political commitments into effective conservation actions remains imperative. Strengthening governance structures, enhancing law enforcement, and fostering community engagement are pivotal steps toward mitigating internal threats and preserving the site's Outstanding Universal Value (IUCN, 2020; FTNS, 2020).