Factors Influencing the Sustainability of the Results of Two Management Interventions in the Luki Biosphere Reserve: Kongo-Central Province, D.R. Congo

Two major interventions, PASAGAR and integrated REDD, aimed at promoting the sustainable management and development of the Luki Biosphere Reserve were implemented between 2013 and 2018. Despite their support, local communities living in and around this reserve continue to face poverty and biodiversity loss, which continues to threaten the stability and adaptability of the biosphere in the face of environmental change. The results show that 41% of the influence on sustainability of the REDD pilot results comes from innovations such as "model farms". The sustainability of PASAGAR's results was influenced by the inputs, accounting for up to 94%. The two interventions are complementary, and their sustainability is reinforced by the fencing of land (including savannahs with shrubs), the payment of environmental services, reforestation, and agroforestry, etc. On the sociodemographic level, people over the age of forty-five play a significant role in the sustainability of the results. The Local Development Committees, actors of local governance and direct beneficiaries, facilitated the interaction between PASAGAR, REDD and local communities by promoting the participatory process. As a result, the results of this study indicate zero participation in the design and evaluations, while it is estimated at 83% for the implementation of PASAGAR and 63% for the implementation of the integrated REDD pilot project. Received: 24 February 2025 / Accepted: 28 April 2025 / Published: 06 May 2025