TITLE:
Anthropogenic Causes of Ecosystem Degradation and Determinants of the Willingness of the Local Population to Participate in Collaborative Management of Bombo-Lumene Reserve
AUTHORS:
Papy Yathoma, Edwin Imfumu, Victorine Mbadu
KEYWORDS:
Protected Area, Anthropogenic Causes, Collaborative Management, Bombo-Lumene
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.8 No.10,
October
28,
2021
ABSTRACT: Protected areas play a critical role in biodiversity conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, they are under anthropogenic pressure. The study was carried out in the Bombo-Lumene reserve situated in Kinshasa, DR Congo. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to determine the causes underlying ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss and the determinants of the willingness of the population to participate in collaborative management with the State. Logistic regression was used to check the determinant factor. Findings showed that farming, charcoal production, and poaching are the direct causes of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. The indirect cause is land confiscation, which causes conflicts between the local population and the State. Consequently, the majority of the respondents are not willing to participate in collaborative management. Results of logistic regression indicated that level of education was the only explanatory factor that determines the willingness to participate in collaborative management with the State.