English
Forestlink: Unlocking the potential of forest guardians and environmental defenders in tackling illegal logging in DRC
With support from the UK Department for International Development (DfID), the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) has been successfully developing and testing a ground-breaking new end-to-end system that is unlocking the potential of traditional forest guardians in monitoring and protecting their forests. ForestLink enables communities anywhere in the world to capture and transmit highly accurate reports … Read more
RFUK partner designs COVID-19 poster to help forest communities prepare
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a testing time for us all. In the effort to halt this pandemic, we have all taken preventative measures to protect our loved ones, others and ourselves. Fortunately, we are starting to see a light on the horizon, with the nation passing the ‘peak’ of the virus’ spread, and the … Read more
Report charts way to better inclusion of forest communities in Congo Basin land use planning processes
The rainforests of the Congo Basin are among the earth’s great carbon and biodiversity reserves. They are also believed to have been inhabited by humans for 50,000 years and today directly sustain the lives of an estimated 50 million people who are among the poorest people on the planet. As these forests come under increasing … Read more
Mapping the Future: Towards Meaningful Participation of Forest Peoples in Land-use Planning in DRC and Cameroon
This RFUK report charts way to better inclusion of forest communities in Congo Basin land use planning processes.
COVID-19: A call to protect and support rainforest peoples
A call to protect and support rainforest peoples from COVID-19: A joint statement from the Rainforest Foundations of Norway, UK, and US The novel coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world is quickly reshaping everyone’s lives in ways very few people could have imagined. Unfortunately, for indigenous peoples and traditional forest populations around the globe, there is nothing … Read more
The ‘Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework’ – a new threat to indigenous people and local communities?
As a group of experts meet in Rome to draft a plan that could double the global area under protected area status to 30 percent by 2030, the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) and Survival International have raised fears that this could lead to a surge in human rights violations and land conflict if not backed … Read more
Securing Customary Rights is Key to Sustainable Community Forestry
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
Investigation finds illegal tropical timber from the Democratic Republic of Congo may be finding its way into European markets
A report by a French news agency [1] has exposed an industrial-scale illegal logging operation linked to high-level corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following an investigation by the Rainforest Foundation UK’s (RFUK’s) partners’ and other NGOs The journalists, led by Jerome Garro, from TF1, found that ‘Long Xin’ (formerly known as ‘Maniema … Read more
Community Forests change lives: How a Congolese community won rights to their forest
Ilinga received its official community forest title in September 2018 In September 2018, the community of Ilinga received its official community forest title. The community, whose traditional name means “Unity”, is one of eight in Equateur province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), supported by local NGO GASHE[1], as part of Rainforest Foundation UK’s DFID-funded … Read more
DRC government suspends logging company after civil society reports illegal rainforest logging
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