Context
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s primeval forest is one of the world’s largest uninterrupted tropical forest areas. It is impressive not only because of the species diversity of its flora and fauna, but also because it plays an important role in stabilising the Earth’s climate. However, this tropical forest in the middle of Africa, known as the continent’s ‘green lung’, is threatened by slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging and fuel wood and charcoal production.
Part of this tropical forest has been placed under protection in a number of conservation areas. Yet these areas are still threatened by fuel wood collection and agriculture, and they suffer damage due to rebel activities, poaching, illegal logging and mining for natural resources such as coltan.
Neither the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development nor the conservation authorities have an adequate institutional basis or appropriate concepts for preserving the forest and its biodiversity.
Objective
At both national and provincial levels, the public institutions and non-governmental actors responsible for the sustainable management of natural resources fulfil their political and operational tasks more effectively.
Approach
The institutional framework is being improved in an approach that involves several donors and strategic political management, in which activities are planned and monitored at national, regional and local levels. At the regional level, the programme’s activities are integrated in the Convergence Plan of the Central African Forests Commission (Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Central, COMIFAC).
At the central government level, the programme supports the Ministry of Environment in implementing national environmental protection and forest policies, while providing technical, organisational and financial advice to the nature conservation authority.
The programme is supporting the Government of DRC in three priority areas.
1. Sustainable and participatory forest management, certification and climate strategies, such as REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and the role of conversation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries). In this area, the programme works with the consultants, DFS Deutsche Forstservice.
2. Improved institutional frameworks and transparency, especially with respect to human resources management in the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and in the nature conservation authority.
3. Improved management of protected areas in six nature reserves, three of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Results achieved so far
Over a three-year period, GIZ supported its Congolese partners in developing a national sector plan, the PNEFEB (Programme National Environnement, Forêts, Eaux et Biodiversité). The sector-wide plan provides the partners with more ways of adapting their own planning, and to harmonise the work of the donors. Its elaboration and partial implementation at the provincial level contributes helps strengthen local governance.
GIZ has given its support to the DRC Government to improve the state of land-use planning and resource mapping at national, regional and local levels.
To encourage sustainable forest management at the local level, a micro-concession has been established in the province of Maniema, including a mobile sawmill on a test basis. This has already brought the first revenues for the community involved.
Working with decentralised, provincial structures in the environmental sector, the programme has introduced two models for locally managing designated forest areas for the sourcing of timber and firewood. This should help ease pressure on the natural forest, while improving energy efficiency and reducing costs for households.
On the initiative of the programme, and in cooperation with a mining company and local communities, areas of degraded land in Katanga province are being reforested.
A training plan has been developed for employees of the Ministry of Environment, with inputs from all of the Ministry’s departments. More than 600 staff members have already received training and are now better equipped to carry out their responsibilities. The programme has also devised job descriptions for two thirds of the departments in the Ministry. These provide a basis upon which these structures can conduct transparent and objective recruitment processes and performance assessments. Overall, the measures undertaken in the area of HR management are intended to promote good governance.
To improve the standard of future graduates in areas of natural resource management, the programme has collaborated with the Ministry of Higher Education to develop courses aligned with the requirements of the European Bologna Process. The improved courses are currently offered at three universities and four technical colleges.
Thanks to its many years of experience and close relationships with park administrations, GIZ has become an important partner in the conservation sector at the national level, where it is supporting the government in creating a national network of protected areas. In areas surrounding the parks, infrastructure has been improved and development plans have been formed. Local communities are becoming active players in park protection.