From November 16 to 22, 2024, the Support Service for Local Development Initiatives (SAILD) took part in the 29th Conference of the Parties on Climate (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The organization took the opportunity to talk about its experience with local communities in implementing the Deng Deng National Park Conservation Optimization Project (OC Deng Deng).
Since its creation, SAILD has been implementing a number of actions to help combat climate change and preserve biodiversity. In addition to adaptation measures enabling vulnerable populations to improve their resilience to the effects of climate change, the organization also promotes participatory management of forest resources.
The NGO, represented by Clarisse Fombana, OC Deng Deng Project Manager, and De Souza Feujio, Project Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, took part in discussions relating to the 29th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change. Over seven days, the main themes discussed revolved around the participation of local communities and indigenous peoples in forest preservation, the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices for better land management, and climate finance.
One of the major activities of this SAILD team was its participation in an exchange workshop it co-organized with three other organizations. These included WRI (World Resources Institute), AJESH (Ajemalebu Self Help) in Cameroon and APEM ( Actions for the Promotion and Protection of Threatened Peoples and Species) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The theme of the side event was “Magnifying community initiatives for sustainable forest management in the Congo Basin: the role of geospatial data and technologies”. SAILD took the opportunity to share its experience in implementing the “ Optimization Project for the Conservation of Deng Deng National Park (PNDD) through capacity building of local riparian communities in agroecological practices ” abbreviated OC Deng Deng.
SAILD as a model
“During the workshop we demonstrated how geospatial data and technologies can contribute to forest management and monitoring. We took the example of SAILD, which has worked in 03 communities bordering the PNDD, and has helped to improve the participation of local communities in the conservation of the protected area and to reduce deforestation due to the agricultural activities of these communities. This was achieved by focusing on the diagnostic study of the PNDD landscape, carried out thanks to a grant from IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) through the BIOPAMA program (Program for Biodiversity and Management of Protected Areas)”, said Clarisse Fombana, project manager.
According to her, the aim of the study was to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use in this landscape. “The results of satellite data, field surveys and participatory mapping of village terroirs made it possible to characterize land-use dynamics over a 10-year period between 2013 and 2023 in the NDPD landscape” she added.
The team also took part in events organized by various partners outside the COP center, including WRI, which held a dinner on financing the transition for people, nature and climate. “These meetings enabled us to have several Business to Business exchanges with personalities from various backgrounds with the aim of deepening presentations and identifying avenues for future collaboration” confided De Souza Feujio. “Overall, the event was a highlight, as it enabled us to rub shoulders with the world of major negotiations, learning and networking” she added. COP 29 was therefore a beneficial experience for SAILD and its many climate commitments.
This major climate meeting, which brought together tens of thousands of people from nearly 200 countries around the world, ended with an agreement calling on developed countries to provide $300 billion a year to developing countries by 2035, in order to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening effects of climate change.
- Sharon Maché
