At Expo 2000 - Hannover, Germany - IUCN project awarded HANNOVER, 17 June, 2000 (IUCN) - The IUCN Waza-Logone Project (northern Cameroon) received an award today for excellence at the EXPO 2000 in Hannover, Germany. EXPO 2000 considers this project to be exemplary in the category 'Environment'.
Lake Maga, created in 1979, and low rainfall in the region reduced the annual natural flooding of the riverplain. The annual floods no longer regenerated the floodplain, which resulted in economic de-cline and environmental degradation. The 100,000 inhabitants saw their livelihoods threatened when the natural wealth of the area, including the Biosphere Reserve of Waza National Park, withered. Masses left the floodplain in search of a better place.
The Waza-Logone Project was initiated in 1988 to improve the quality of life of the population and to restore the rich biodiversity of the floodplain. In collaboration with local communities, national and international institutions, and donor organisations, experi-ments begun with artificial flooding.
Now, more than 10 years later, the project has succeeded in bringing the floodplain back to life. The flooded area has in-creased by 200 km2, corresponding to 20% of the former flood-plain. Community development is supported through training in sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Local communities are involved in eco-tourism activities. Clean water from 37 wells in 33 villages and training in health and sanitation resulted in a 70% decrease in diarrhoea. Studies show a sharp increase in the eco-nomic benefits of the floodplain to the inhabitants of the area.
Says Daniel Ngantou, manager of the Waza-Logone project: "The programme shows that ecology and economy can go hand in hand: it has succeeded in improving the life of local communities and in raising the awareness to protect and restore biodiversity."
For the future, the project is planning to start large scale reflood-ing to rehabilitate the entire floodplain and develop management structures involving the private sector, and societal and govern-mental institutions. Local communities have agreed to the option where more than 650 km2 will be reflooded, which will lead to even greater benefits for both the local economy and ecosystem.
IUCN gratefully acknowledges the support to this project of the Govern-ments of the Netherlands and Cameroon, SNV, WWF, European Union and the CML at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands.
IUCN - The World Conservation Union Created in 1948, IUCN - The World Conservation Union brings together 76 states, 104 government agencies, 720 NGOs, 35 affiliates, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. IUCN's mission is to influ-ence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integ-rity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is eq-uitable and ecologically sustainable. IUCN is the world's largest environ-mental knowledge network and has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conser-vation and biodiversity strategies. IUCN is a multi-cultural, multilingual organi-sation with 1000 staff lo-cated in 42 countries. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland.
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