Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Management of Forest Resources in a Socio-Cultural Upheaval of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve Landscape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
[en] The Okapi Wildlife Reserve (OWR) in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo represents both a biodiversity hotspot and the ancestral homeland of the Indigenous Mbuti and Efe peoples, whose livelihoods and knowledge systems are closely tied to forest resources. This study investigates how Indigenous knowledge and practices contribute to sustainable resource management under conditions of rapid socio-cultural transformation. A mixed-methods approach was applied, combining socio-demographic surveys (n = 80), focus group discussions, floristic inventories, and statistical analyses (ANOVA, logistic regressions, chi-square, MCA). Results show that hunting, fishing, gathering, and honey harvesting remain central livelihood activities, governed by customary taboos and restrictions that act as de facto ecological regulations. Agriculture, recently introduced through intercultural exchange with neighboring Bantu populations, complements rather than replaces traditional practices and demonstrates emerging agroecological hybridization. Nevertheless, evidence of biodiversity decline (including local disappearance of species such as Dioscorea spp.), erosion of intergenerational knowledge transmission, and increased reliance on monetary income indicate vulnerabilities. Multiple Correspondence Analysis revealed a highly structured socio-ecological gradient (98.5% variance explained; Cronbach’s α = 0.977), indicating that perceptions of environmental change are strongly coupled with demographic identity and livelihood strategies. Floristic inventories confirmed significant differences in species abundance across camps (ANOVA, p < 0.001), highlighting site-specific pressures and the protective effect of persistent customary norms. The findings underscore the resilience and adaptability of Indigenous Peoples but also their exposure to ecological and cultural disruptions. We conclude that formal recognition of Indigenous institutions and integration of their knowledge systems into co-management frameworks are essential to strengthen ecological resilience, secure Indigenous rights, and align conservation policies with global biodiversity and climate agendas.
Research Center/Unit :
TERRA Research Centre. Biodiversité et Paysage - ULiège
Disciplines :
Environmental sciences & ecology
Author, co-author :
Kasoki, Lucie Mugherwa; Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 15.373, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Essouman, Pyrus Flavien Ebouel ; Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 15.373, Democratic Republic of the Congo ; Département de Foresterie, Faculté d’Agronomie et des Sciences Agricoles, Université de Dschang, Dschang P.O. Box 96, Cameroon
Wamba, Franck Robéan ; Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 15.373, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Makanua, Isaac Diansambu; Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques et Environnement, Université Président Joseph Kasa Vubu, Boma P.O. Box 314, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Nguba, Timothée Besisa ; Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 15.373, Democratic Republic of the Congo ; Unité Biodiversité, Ecosystème et Paysage (BEP), Teaching and Research Center (TERRA), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech—Université de Liège, P.O. Box 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Mavakala, Krossy ; Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 15.373, Democratic Republic of the Congo ; Faculté des Communications Sociales, Université Pédagogique Nationale, Kinshasa P.O. Box 8815, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mweru, Jean-Pierre Mate; Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 15.373, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tsakem, Samuel Christian; Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 15.373, Democratic Republic of the Congo ; Ecole de Faune de Garoua, Garoua P.O. Box 271, Cameroon
Babale, Michel; Ecole de Faune de Garoua, Garoua P.O. Box 271, Cameroon
Nzuzi, Francis Lelo; Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 15.373, Democratic Republic of the Congo ; Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 127, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Michel, Baudouin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Gestion durable des bio-agresseurs ; Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion Intégrés des Forêts et Territoires Tropicaux (ERAIFT), Université de Kinshasa, Kinshasa P.O. Box 15.373, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Language :
English
Title :
Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Management of Forest Resources in a Socio-Cultural Upheaval of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve Landscape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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