French
RFUK launches land use planning project in Maniema province, Democratic Republic of Congo
This week, the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) launched a new participatory mapping and land use planning project in Maniema province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The launch ceremony took place in the provincial capital, Kindu, and was attended by over 50 participants, including provincial government officials, traditional authorities and civil society representatives. The … Read more
From the forest: New rights to forests give communities hope for the future
RFUK’s Claire Parfondry (right) and GASHE’s Ruth Badubaye (left) meet with local communities in February | Credit: GASHE Claire Parfondry coordinates the Rainforest Foundation UK’s Community Forests project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She recently travelled to six local communities participating in the project in western DRC. It’s been nearly one year since … Read more
Living in a logging zone: Innovating with community forests in CAR
A new experiment in the Central African Republic (CAR) is about to have a big impact on the land rights of remote forest communities. After months of advocacy by civil society, one government ministry has opened the door for local communities in the country’s south-west to officially gain control of their forest resources. Thanks to … Read more
A National Strategy for Community Forestry in Democratic Republic of Congo
This briefing note outlines the key elements of the new National Strategy on Community Forestry in DRC, and gives a concise overview of the Roundtable process that has led to the creation of this landmark document, as well as recommendations on next steps.
International workshops show how community mapping can support sustainable forest management
In November and December 2017, the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) brought together participants from three Central African countries to train them on how to use innovative mapping tools in order to support community forestry. The workshops were attended by participants from Gabon, the Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic (CAR). The workshop series … Read more
The Human Cost of Conservation in Republic of Congo
This report is based on investigations in Republic of Congo by our local civil society partners, mainly within six forest communities living in or on the periphery of Conkouati-Douli National Park (CDNP) and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park (NNNP). The aim of our investigations was to understand the impact of the protected areas on those communities and … Read more
How to involve women in forest management: Interview with a community organiser in DRC
“Women, and indigenous women in particular, need to be included in decision-making on ecosystem use at all levels, as essential players in preserving our planet.” – UN Women Ruth Badubaye has been working with rainforest communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for several years. Formerly a GIS (geographic information systems) technician with Congolese … Read more
First provincial Roundtable on community forestry takes place in DRC
Around 90 participants travelled to Mbandaka in north western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in September to take part in the first ever provincial Roundtable on Community Forestry. The event was organised by Congolese NGO, Centre d’Appui à la Gestion Durable des Forêts Tropicales (CAGDFT) with support from the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) and the UK Department … Read more
Community based monitoring in Cameroon helps bring illegal loggers to justice
Loggers in Cameroon are now under increased scrutiny, as alerts from local forest monitors have started making their way to law enforcement agencies. Several of these alerts – sent through a real-time monitoring system called ForestLink, developed by the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) in partnership with local organisation FODER (Forêts et Développement Rural) – have contributed … Read more
Logging in Congo’s Rainforests: A ‘Carbon Bomb’ About to be Primed by the Government of Norway?
In 2017, the government of Norway, through its ‘Central African Forests Initiative’ (CAFI), was considering providing financial support to a programme being developed by the French Development Agency (AFD) to greatly expand large-scale commercial logging in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This briefing outlines the potential impacts this proposal would have … Read more