WWF, CAR launch maiden Dzanga-Sangha Day.

The event, organized in partnership with World Wildlife Fund, WWF and the Helmholtz Institute for One Health, HIOH, highlighted the unique blend of biodiversity protection, community development, and scientific innovation. The aspects define the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, DSPA of the Congo Basin

The launching ceremony in Bangui Tuesday 18 November will be followed by community festivities in Bayanga from 19 to 20 November, under the patronage of CAR’s president.

Government officials, international partners, and local communities are expected to take part in the activities. Officials said they event underscores the national and global importance of the region.

A global conservation model

Nestled in the heart of the Congo Basin, Dzanga-Sangha is home to forest elephants, great apes, and a wealth of other threatened species. It is part of the Tri-National Sangha, TNS landscape that spans CAR, Cameroon, and the Republic of Congo. 

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the area also serves as a living model of the One Health approach, linking human, animal, and ecosystem health.

“Dzanga-Sangha is a national pride and a global treasure, where conservation, community well-being, and science meet,” Laurent Somée, WWF Regional Director for the Congo Basin stated.

Stéphane Youfeina, WWF-CAR Country Director, added that “Dzanga-Sangha Day strengthens One Health collaboration and mobilizes support for the people and nature that make this place irreplaceable”.

Protecting a natural legacy

Since 1990, CAR has protected Dzanga-Sangha through the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve. The area’s 2012 UNESCO inscription confirmed its Outstanding Universal Value. 

In 2024, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government, WWF, and HIOH enhanced One Health surveillance, emphasizing prevention, community resilience, and sustainable development.

“Investing in Dzanga-Sangha is investing in climate resilience, health security, and economic opportunities—for CAR, the Congo Basin, and the world,” an official is quoted as having said.

Dzanga-Sangha Day, officials insist, goes beyond celebration. They say, calls for governments, partners, and the public to recognize and support the integrated conservation model, showing that protecting biodiversity can go hand-in-hand with promoting community well-being and sustainable development.

About Dzanga-Sangha protected areas

DSPA is a pioneering landscape integrating biodiversity protection, scientific research, community development, and One Health initiatives. Managed collaboratively by CAR government and partners, and as part of the TNS regional network, Dzanga-Sangha, stakeholders say, is a prime example of locally rooted, globally relevant conservation.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3632 of Friday November 21, 2025