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Forests Monitor Charitable Trust
Developing Community Forestry in DRC
Project summary
| Forests Monitor is working to develop community forestry in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). An 18 month project is being implemented that will explore how to develop a community forestry sector that will contribute to the Congolese government’s priorities of poverty reduction and the sustainable management and conservation of the country’s forests. This will be achieved through working with local communities to investigate how they are currently using and managing forest resources, as well as their aspirations for the development of the forest sector. Further, the project will be working in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism to explore the legislative and institutional framework that will be needed to enable the development of community forestry within the country. |  GIS Training in Basankusu |
What is community forestry?
"Community forestry" can refer to a wide range of activities including extraction of timber and non-timber products and forest management for biodiversity conservation, carbon storage or for tourism. These activities may be undertaken by communities themselves, often involving the establishment of local management committees or through community-based enterprises. Alternatively management may be shared, for example through partnerships with forestry authorities, or outside enterprises may be contracted to undertake certain activities such as the extraction or processing of resources. Community forestry not only allows for the recognition of local communities’ rights but can be an effective means of reducing poverty and promoting sustainable management of forest resources. There is enormous potential for the development of community forestry in DRC, a country in which the majority of the population live in rural areas and in which there is a wealth of forest resources.
Project activities
| The project will be working with communities in the provinces of Bas-Congo, Ituri and Equateur. In each of these sites Forests Monitor will work with local partners in order to build on their existing activities and expertise. Research will be undertaken into current land use practices and rights, the management and exploitation of forest resources and the status of forest enterprises and participation in markets. Local people’s development aspirations will be explored as well as any obstacles to the development of community forestry. This work will include training and capacity building for local communities, for example in mapping techniques to investigate local resource use, and the organisation of workshops and other forums to promote dialogue between local communities, civil society and government. In parallel with this work, research and analysis will be undertaken to develop a legal and institutional framework for community forestry, drawing on experiences from around the world. Findings from the three field sites will feed into this process, to ensure the development of options that are appropriate to Congo’s diverse social and environmental context. Ideas will be developed and discussed through a series of workshops for stakeholders, including policy makers and civil society. |  The Project Sites |
Project development and timescale
This project was developed as part of a process to explore alternative options for the forestry sector in DRC. The proposal was presented and discussed at a Chatham House meeting on Sustainable Management and Financing of the Democratic Republic of Congo's Forests, held in June 2008 in Kinshasa.
The project, which runs until June 2010, also aims to develop a 15 year programme that would facilitate the widespread adoption of community forestry in DRC.
Project partners
Our partners include:
MECNT - Ministère de l'Environnement, Conservation de la Nature et Tourisme / Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism
CEPECO - Centre pour la Promotion et l'Education des Communautés de base
CIRAD - Centre International de Recherche Agronomique/ International Centre for Agronomic Research and Development
Le Diocèse de Basankusu
ENRA-SARL
IIED - International Institute for Environment and Development
RRI - Rights and Resources Initiative
RRN - Réseau Ressources Naturelles / Natural Resources Network
Further information
Documents produced by this project, including reports from our meetings and dialogues, are available here.
| The project is funded by Congo Basin Forest Fund (CBFF) start-up resources, provided by the UK Department for International Development.
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