Promoting sustainable forest management in the Congo Basin

Context

With 180 million hectares of forest, the Congo Basin is the world's second largest tropical forest area and the world's second largest producer of oxygen. It is home to around 100 million people and has a unique biodiversity. However, the trend is moving towards a less sustainable use of these forest ecosystems, which has led to a significant increase in forest degradation and biodiversity loss. There is an urgent need to create a new awareness for and commitment to more climate-friendly forest management.

The Congo Basin Forest Commission (COMIFAC) was created by the Central African States for a sustainable and harmonised management of the forests and biological diversity of the Congo Basin.

Objective

COMIFAC is carrying out its strategic and operational tasks autonomously and effectively as a specialised institution of the Economic Community of Central African States.

Approach

The project provides technical support to COMIFAC in the areas of biodiversity conservation and forest governance. By supporting COMIFAC in its process of achieving financial autonomy, the project contributes significantly to improving the sustainable management of forest resources throughout the Central African sub-region.

Last update: November 2023