Livelihoods Means and Local Populations Strategies of the Luki’s Biosphere Reserve in Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

The Luki’s Biosphere Reserve (LBR), latter remnant Mayombe’s forest in Democratic Republic of Congo, is exposed to a prominent human pressure. After the independence process that occurred in the country, the “zaïrianization’’ policy of nationalization lead to the agro-industrial collapse. Face to that situational configuration and then compelled to unemployment, the population turned on forest activities, such as, slash and burn shifting cultivation, carbonization, operating timber and hunt, which tend to be their main basic live hoods means. The problem of this study is, based on how local populations tend to survive despite the crises and above any lack of support? Responding to that preoccupation, an investigation focus on systemic analyses of various ways of subsidence had been realized in four (04) local villages of the reserve: Kinzua-Mvuete, Kikalu, Kiyalala, Kiyangala. Data’s collecting through a systemic approach and analysis shown a serious dependence toward forest resources; in a stamped context of demographical progression, generalized by poverty and weaknesses of environmental governance, the populations have developed several strategies of survive in terms of, intensification, diversification and migration. Those assorted activities consisted especially to the non-respect of the fallow period, the land dispute, the felling of small diameter trees, the modification of land use, conducting to deforestation and to degradation, increase therefore misery. In order to reconcile the objectives of development and conservation: agroforestry, fish farming, beekeeping, and sensitization have been suggested.