At Bouanela, the Lac Télé Community Reserve takes stock of community actions and strengthens local governance through a dialogue workshop between the Coordination and the Local Management Committee.
A participatory workshop bringing together communities from the 27 villages of the Lac Télé Community Reserve made it possible to assess actions undertaken, adopt new recommendations, and define community management priorities for 2026, with the support of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
BOUANELA, Republic of the Congo, December 7, 2025 — On December 6 and 7, 2025, the multipurpose hall of the Bouanela sub-prefecture hosted the second dialogue workshop between the Coordination and the Local Management Committee (LMC) of the Lac Télé Community Reserve (LTCR). Organized at the initiative of the LMC with financial support from WCS, the meeting brought together nearly 150 participants from the 27 villages of the Reserve.
The workshop aimed to assess the implementation of previous recommendations, strengthen local governance, and plan priority actions for 2026, within a participatory community-based management approach.
Discussions provided a detailed review of actions carried out over the past year, including:
-
the revitalization of Natural Resource Management Committees (NRMCs) in eight villages of the Reserve;
-
community awareness-raising on the mini fishing charter and best practices for managing fishery resources;
-
the establishment of community fishing surveillance brigades in eight villages;
-
the electrification of 27 localities using 70 solar streetlights, distributed across the districts of Bouanela and Epéna;
-
the distribution of school kits to 27 primary schools, reaching more than 4,400 pupils in and around the Reserve;
-
the clearing of 20 kilometers of the Epéna–Ngounda road to improve accessibility;
-
support to more than 200 cocoa producers as part of the development of income-generating activities;
-
the implementation of several scientific studies, including monitoring of ungulates, small monkeys, waterbirds, hippopotamus counts, and gorilla monitoring.
“These actions reflect the commitment of communities and partners to reconciling biodiversity conservation with improved living conditions,” emphasized Ghislain Magnomele, President of the Executive Board of the Local Management Committee.
During the workshop, participants also reviewed the progress of the Simple Management Plans (SMPs) and the Reserve Management Plan, developed through a participatory approach integrating traditional rules, rational use zones, and strict protection zones.
“Community-based management of the Reserve relies on the effective involvement of local populations in decision-making and in monitoring natural resources,” recalled Fabien Orchidet Nzolani Silaho, Warden of the Lac Télé Community Reserve.
At the end of the workshop, thirteen recommendations were adopted, focusing in particular on:
-
combating bushfires;
-
continuing the establishment of surveillance brigades;
-
strengthening awareness-raising on fishing, hunting, and the environment;
-
crop diversification and support for food security;
-
improving communication and the visibility of community institutions.
In closing the workshop, the Sub-Prefect of the Bouanela district, Norbert Liboukou, called on all stakeholders to translate these recommendations into concrete actions to ensure the long-term protection of the biodiversity of the Lac Télé Community Reserve.
[Read More...]