From 04 to 18 November 2024, a data collection mission at the Luki Biosphere Reserve (RB-Luki) was organized by the ERAIFT team in charge of implementing the project activities “Assessment of the value of the ecosystem services of the Luki Biosphere Reserve (EVASE_RBL)”. This project, led by the ERAIFT-INERA-University of Liège (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech) consortium, aims to shed light on the economic value of ecosystem services in the Luki Biosphere Reserve (RBL), in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  This project is part of the program called: «Applied research in Ecology and Social Sciences of Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa (RESSAC) », under the funding of the European Union (EU).

The main objective of this mission was to collect data on ecosystem services provided by RBL. Specifically, it was about: (1) meeting with the responsible of the reserve to discuss and obtain information on ecosystem services management, (2) Conduct surveys and focus group within local communities to identify the high-value economic, social and cultural ecosystem services offered by RBL; and (3) Make observations and interpretations in the field to verify the information obtained.

This data collection mission was made possible thanks to the support of the RESSAC program, implemented by the CIFOR-ICRAF consortium and the financial assistance of the European Union, to which ERAIFT expresses its deep gratitude.