APEM

New alerts map shows vital role of forest communities in tackling illegal logging

4 July 2022

RFUK and its local partners in Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Peru have launched a webmap that includes thousands of illegal alerts sent by local community monitors using the ForestLink system. While satellite forest monitoring has transformed our ability to detect forest loss, ForestLink … Read more

NGOs call on Congolese General Prosecutor to investigate the role of several former ministers in illegal logging operations

5 May 2022

A group of Congolese and international NGOs have written to DRC’s General Prosecutor calling on him to investigate reports of widespread illegal logging, which implicate as many as six former ministers. On 1 April, the Environment ministry finally released a long-suppressed audit of the country’s logging industry by the Congolese General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF), which found … Read more

Climate catastrophe looms as DRC oil plan poses new threat to Cuvette Centrale peatlands

29 April 2022

The DRC government has adopted a plan to open up one of the world’s largest carbon sinks to oil drilling only months after it signed a $500 million forest protection agreement with the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) at COP26. Last week, the DRC Council of Ministers adopted a plan to tender 16 new oil blocks, several … Read more

Press Release: Over 360 organisations say “No to Nature Based Solutions!”

15 March 2022

Ahead of a vital UN moment for biodiversity, “nature-based solutions” are once again being erroneously heralded as the solution – and NGOs are pushing back. As more and more corporations and governments tout “nature-based solutions” as the means to fight the climate and biodiversity crises, over 360 organisations have come together to launch a statement exposing … Read more

New U.S. legislative bill could pave the way for greater protection of human rights in international biodiversity conservation

11 March 2022

In a significant development, the chair and ranking minority member of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources has introduced a bill that aims to ensure that U.S. international biodiversity funding is not used to contribute to human rights abuses in and around protected areas. This comes off the back of a U.S. … Read more

Just launched: FORESTLINK.ORG

24 February 2022

RFUK’s Real-Time Monitoring project has created a new, dedicated digital hub for their ForestLink technology, with all the latest developments, resources and stories on how communities are protecting their forests with this innovative system. On the new site, you’ll find out how the tech system works, why it uniquely supports grassroots independent forest monitoring, the different ways it’s being deployed across … Read more

Community Forestry in DRC is a solution to tackle both poverty and climate change: that’s why it needs to be in focus at COP26

28 October 2021

On 14 October at the 8th annual Multi-actor Roundtable on Community Forestry in Kinshasa, the Congolese government, as well as representatives from donor countries, community leaders and a large contingent of national and international civil society organisations, affirmed that local forest communities and indigenous peoples should be at the centre of climate action. As expressed by Mr. Athanasse Lingodja, a community leader from the province of Maniema,  … Read more

44 Congolese and international NGOs join call to stop lifting of the DRC logging moratorium

23 September 2021

The DRC government has announced imminent plans to lift a near 20-year ban on new logging concessions operations in its Congo Basin rainforest – one of the last intact rainforests in the world. With less than six weeks to go before the crucial climate negotiations at COP26, Environmental and Human Rights NGOs are calling on … Read more

Just launched: “Forests for the Future” a 5-year community forestry project in DRC

7 July 2021

With the support of USAID and Norad, the Rainforest Foundation UK and a consortium of Congolese organisations are launching “Forests for the Future,” a 5-year project supporting community forests and sustainable livelihoods in DRC. Kinshasa, July 7, 2021 – Senior representatives of the government (from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development), the United States … Read more

NBS: New Era or False Dawn? – Webinar Q&A

24 May 2021

How could a local community be helpful in preserving the flora especially of endangered species? Numerous research demonstrates how indigenous peoples and local communities are the best stewards of tropical forests. Their participation is crucial to preserving biodiversity. See for example:5 Maps Show How Important Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Are to the Environment – … Read more