News
RFUK launches first partnership in Ecuador to help Indigenous communities protect forests and livelihoods
On International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we are celebrating Indigenous leadership in forest stewardship through our new partnership with Corporación Chakra, an Indigenous-led organisation representing Kichwa communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon, supporting efforts to protect forests, strengthen sustainable livelihoods and safeguard traditional knowledge for future generations. RFUK has taken an exciting step into … Read more
RFUK and partners launch new phase of community forest monitoring in the DRC
RFUK and our partners have officially launched a new phase of community-led forest monitoring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), marking the start of an ambitious new three-year programme to strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ ability to protect their forests. The launch took place during a ten-day workshop in Kinshasa, bringing together … Read more
From denial to dialogue: CAD’s advocacy is driving change in Ntokou-Pikounda National Park
In the dense forests of the northern Republic of the Congo, Ntokou-Pikounda National Park stretches across one of the largest remaining blocks of Congo Basin rainforest. It is also home to Indigenous and local communities whose families have lived in these forests for generations. For years, many of those communities have paid a heavy price … Read more
DRC Environment Minister commits to uphold logging moratorium, as CSOs call for lasting protection of the Congo Basin
Our organisations, members of a coalition of 70 Congolese and international organisations working to protect human rights and the environment, welcome the public statement by Marie Nyange Ndambo, Minister of the Environment, Development and New Climate Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reaffirming that the moratorium on the allocation of new industrial … Read more
Community Forest Success in North Kivu, Against All the Odds
In the forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a region that has endured years of insecurity and uncertainty, an incredible story of community resilience is unfolding. On 2 June 2026, the Masombea community in Lubero Territory, North Kivu, officially secured legal recognition of its community forest (Concession Forestière des Communautés Locales, … Read more
2033 Vision: A New Era of Rainforest Protection
For more than three decades, RFUK has worked alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities to protect tropical forests. Over this time, it has become increasingly clear that the most effective and equitable way to safeguard rainforests is to support the people who have lived in and cared for them for generations. This belief is at … Read more
Investing in local governance: a proven pathway to resilient forest communities in the Congo Basin
Insights from RFUK’s recent field mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo. RFUK’s recent field mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reaffirmed a critical lesson for conservation and development partners: strong local governance drives some of the most effective and sustainable outcomes for building resilient forest communities. Across Kinshasa and the Equateur province, … Read more
Protecting those who protect the forest: RFUK publishes new guidance to support community defenders in the Congo Basin
Deep in the forests of the Congo Basin, documenting illegal logging, or other illegal extractive activities, can come at a cost. Community observers, many of them volunteers, set out to monitor forest activity to protect their lands, defend their rights and ensure that forest laws are respected, knowing they may face intimidation, threats or even … Read more
Indigenous forest observers drive action against illegal mining in the Peruvian Amazon
New results from the Madre de Dios region in southeastern Peru’s Amazon Basin show how Indigenous-led monitoring is protecting forests, influencing policy and confronting rising threats. RFUK’s Peru Coordinator, Daniela Velit, recently visited Puerto Maldonado, the capital city of the Madre de Dios region, and saw first-hand how RFUK’s project alongside Indigenous rights organisation FENAMAD is … Read more
RFUK shares findings of gender study highlighting opportunities and barriers for women in forest governance in the Republic of Congo
RFUK is sharing findings from a new gender study examining women’s participation in forest governance and community-based monitoring in the Republic of Congo. The study was conducted as part of the FISONG project, “Legal capacities and participation of environmental defenders in the Republic of Congo“, a programme implemented since 2022 by a consortium led by … Read more