DR Congo

Mapping the Future: Towards Meaningful Participation of Forest Peoples in Land-use Planning in DRC and Cameroon

15 April 2020

This RFUK report charts way to better inclusion of forest communities in Congo Basin land use planning processes.

Securing Customary Rights is Key to Sustainable Community Forestry

13 February 2020

The laws in the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic provide limited protection to indigenous peoples and local communities regarding access to land and forest resources. Often, logging concessions overlap their territories, restricting access to lands and resources. However, the development of community forests is gaining momentum in the region. These can help … Read more

DRC government suspends logging company after civil society reports illegal rainforest logging

5 December 2019

A major illegal logging operation [1] has been halted by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) government following monitoring by local non-governmental organisations and multiple complaints by forest communities. The DRC environment minister, last Friday (29th November), instructed the governor of the Tshopo Province to suspend the logging permit of the Chinese-owned FODECO [1] in … Read more

Women’s Participation in Community Forestry in the DRC

29 October 2019

Based on a literature review and field research with communities in Equateur province, this study provides an overview of gender inequalities in the context of community forestry in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also puts forward recommendations for improving women’s participation in community forestry activities.

Final Evaluation ILLUCBF Project – Democratic Republic of the Congo

12 October 2019

This is the evaluation of the ‘Improving Livelihoods and Land Use in Congo Basin Forests’ (ILLUCBF) project, which was undertaken from June to August 2019 by a team of three independent external evaluators, based on the terms of reference provided by Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK).

Community Forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

2 October 2019

Strengthening forest communities’ rights and enabling them to manage their traditional lands is the most effective means of both protecting rainforests and fighting poverty. In 2014, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) passed Community Forest legislation in what is arguably the most ground-breaking legal development related to Congo Basin rainforests in recent years.

Making Community Forestry Successful in DRC: Anthropological Perspectives on Community-based Forest Management

26 September 2019

In 2014, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) adopted ground-breaking legislation that enables forest communities to obtain “local community forest concessions” (CFCLs) of up to 50,000 hectares of their customarily owned lands, in perpetuity….

Area of community forests in DRC passes one million hectares, as RFUK helps DR Congo’s government with new tools

25 September 2019

Human rights and environmental charity, the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK), and its local partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are formally handing over to the country’s government an online ‘database‘, providing accurate maps and essential information on all community forests. RFUK’s local partners, APEM, CAGDFT, GASHE, PREPPYG and Réseau CREF have helped develop … Read more

The Green Climate Fund in the Congo Basin Rainforests – Good Money After Bad?

1 July 2019

A report published by the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) on the Green Climate Fund finds that one of the world’s largest climate adaptation and mitigation funds for developing countries may actually do more harm to tropical forests and people on the frontline of climate change unless it is reformed.

Yaoundé Declaration Declaration: Statement Concerning Community Forestry in the Congo Basin Region

10 June 2019

Organisations and individuals from Central Africa, along with international partners from Europe, came together in Yaoundé in February 2019 to discuss the lessons from the recent years of community forest development in the Congo Basin, especially in the context of the projects funded through DFID’s ILLUCBF programme.