MKAAJI MPYA asbl

About

Name of organisation

MKAAJI MPYA asbl

Funding support

MKAAJI MPYA receives project-based support from national and international partners for biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, community development, environmental education and natural resource governance. Wetland-related activities are implemented through these broader conservation and community-based programmes, complemented by local partnerships and community contributions.

Number of staff

Number of visitors per year

2025: 0

Overall aims of the centre

To strengthen community-based wetland conservation through communication, education, participation and awareness, promoting the protection and sustainable use of wetlands and their biodiversity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. MKAAJI MPYA works with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, women, youth and local institutions, with a focus on the Tumba-Lediima Nature Reserve/Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe wetland landscape, the Parc Marin des Mangroves and the Ruzizi wetlands.

Description of the centre

Region: Africa
Country/territory: Congo
Type of wetland: Rural
Area sqm: 6569624
Habitats and species:

The wetland landscape includes large lakes, rivers, floodplains, marshes, seasonally flooded forests, swamp forests, flooded grasslands and associated terrestrial forests. It supports diverse freshwater and wetland biodiversity, including fish and other aquatic species, waterbirds, amphibians, reptiles and wetland-dependent mammals. The landscape also provides important ecosystem services and livelihoods for local communities through fishing, agriculture, forest products and other natural resources. Tumba-Lediima is particularly important for freshwater biodiversity and the conservation of Congo Basin wetland ecosystems.

Featured programmes:

Community-based wetland and biodiversity conservation; environmental education and awareness; youth and women’s engagement in conservation; community conservation and development committees; participatory mapping and community-based monitoring; sustainable natural resource management and livelihoods; Indigenous Peoples’ participation in conservation; biodiversity communication and environmental journalism through the MKAAJI Biodiversity Journalists Network.

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Work Areas

Main CEPA work area

MKAAJI MPYA conducts community awareness and environmental education activities on the importance of wetlands, biodiversity and sustainable natural resource management. We organise community dialogues, youth and school engagement activities, participatory mapping, knowledge-sharing sessions and conservation awareness campaigns. We also promote the participation of women, Indigenous Peoples and local communities in wetland governance and conservation. Through biodiversity communication, storytelling and environmental journalism, we share local knowledge, conservation messages and community experiences with wider audiences. Our CEPA work aims to strengthen local knowledge, encourage community participation and support practical action for the protection and sustainable use of wetlands.

Top three successes

MKAAJI’s Rural Conservation Clubs have been an effective community-based approach for strengthening local participation in biodiversity and wetland conservation. The clubs bring together community members, women and young people to raise awareness, share local knowledge, identify environmental threats and promote practical conservation actions. Their local presence helps ensure that conservation messages are understood and applied within communities.
MKAAJI has supported community conservation and development structures in the Parc Marin des Mangroves, including Local Committees for Conservation and Development (CLCDs). This approach has strengthened community participation in the protection and sustainable management of mangrove and coastal wetland ecosystems, while creating a space for communities to contribute to local conservation decisions.
MKAAJI has successfully combined community engagement, environmental education and biodiversity communication across its conservation programmes. Working through local community structures, youth and women’s groups and environmental communication initiatives has helped connect conservation knowledge with local livelihoods and strengthen community ownership of biodiversity protection.

Top three challenges

Sustaining Rural Conservation Clubs and community conservation structures over the long term can be difficult when funding for community-based conservation is limited. This has shown the importance of strengthening local ownership, partnerships and low-cost activities that communities can continue beyond individual projects.
Working with community structures in remote wetland and coastal areas can be challenging because of limited transport, communication infrastructure and access to some sites. MKAAJI has learned that working through established local structures such as Rural Conservation Clubs and CLCDs improves continuity and reduces dependence on frequent external presence.
Measuring the long-term impact of community awareness and participation remains challenging. MKAAJI has learned the importance of strengthening simple community-based monitoring and documentation systems to capture changes in knowledge, participation, conservation practices and local governance.

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