Okapi Conservation Fund

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The FC measure, as co-financing of the GEF-funded part of the World Bank (WB) project Projet de Réhabilitation du Réseau des Parcs Nationaux (PREPAN), which expired at the end of 2019, is intended to help improve the management of selected protected areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for which the Congolese nature conservation authority Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) is responsible, partly in cooperation with international non-governmental organizations, and to provide a sustainable financial contribution for these protected areas through the support of the environmental foundation Fonds Okapi pour la Conservation de la Nature (Fonds Okapi). In the long term, the Fonds Okapi should be able to finance a significant share (up to 50%) of the operating costs of the five World Heritage sites in the DRC and, if necessary, other protected areas. The target group is the population living around the affected protected areas and global society because of the importance of biodiversity conservation. This FC measure of EUR 15 million includes an initial contribution to the Okapi Fund and support for its development phase. In addition to setting up and equipping the Okapi Fund, operations are expected to be supported in the Garamba and Kahuzi Biega World Heritage National Parks and their management improved.