Community Forests and Land Rights
Securing the Future: Kiri’s and Batende’s journey to establishing their community forests in the buffer zone of the Lomami National Park
This is the third story in a five part Forests for the Future impact series on how community forests in the DRC are enabling communities to drive their own development and protect climate critical forests. Deep within the lush green expanse surrounding Lomami National Park in Maniema, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, something remarkable … Read more
From forest to fair: community enterprises lead the way in Équateur, DRC
This is the second story in a five part Forests for the Future impact series on how community forests in the DRC are enabling communities to drive their own development and protect climate-critical forests. As the momentum around community forestry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to grow, the second edition of the … Read more
Forests for the Future: a model of resilient, community-led conservation in the Congo Basin
This story is the first of a five part Forests for the Future impact series on how community forests in the DRC are enabling communities to drive their own development and protect climate critical forests. For over 10 years, RFUK and its Congolese partners have been supporting local and Indigenous communities to secure legal rights … Read more
African Parks acknowledges multiple human rights violations in the Republic of Congo’s Odzala-Kokoua National Park
In a long-overdue move, African Parks has acknowledged human rights abuses committed against the Baka people in Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo. These violations, reported years earlier by Survival International and Congolese civil society organisations,[1] highlight the persistent challenges facing Indigenous and local communities living around the Congo Basin’s strictly protected areas. … Read more
Tropical Forest Forever Facility Briefing Note
This briefing note presents key reflections from a group of international environmental, human rights and Indigenous solidarity organisations on the development of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF). Based on concept 2.0, it aims to highlight critical issues that must be addressed for the TFFF to achieve its goals. While not a comprehensive review due … Read more
A new multi-billion dollar fund could be a lifeline for the world’s besieged forests. But it will only succeed if concerns surrounding it are addressed.
In 2024, the world lost almost 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest: the fastest rate ever recorded. The world’s forests are still falling prey to mining, logging and agriculture, but as the climate crisis intensifies, for the first time on record, the leading cause of tropical primary forest loss is fire. Burning forests are … Read more
Reseau EDH meets with DRC Presidential Advisor on environmental issues
On 22 March, RFUK’s civil society organisation partners Network for the Environment and Human Rights (Réseau EDH) met with Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, Special Advisor to the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Environment, Urbanism and Mobility, to discuss key environmental concerns. The meeting covered pressing issues such as the Kivu-Kinshasa Green … Read more
DRC announces creation of the world’s largest ‘community’ reserve: what needs to happen now
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the DRC President Felix Tshisekedi has announced the creation of one of the world’s largest protected areas, covering more than 540,000 km² – an area the size of France. Stretching from Beni in the east of the country along the RN4 road and the Congo River basin to … Read more
Bridging Forests and Markets Through Sustainable Cocoa Livelihoods in Peru
A groundbreaking collaboration with the award-winning Asháninka Kemito Ene cooperative in Peru is enabling Indigenous smallholders to use cutting-edge technology to break down barriers to accessing international markets for their sustainably produced cacao. As global deforestation continues to threaten biodiversity and climate stability, regulatory frameworks such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) have emerged to … Read more
Statement: serious concerns over restrictive measures on environmental civil society organisations in Cameroon
The Forestry Ministry in Cameroon has issued new rules for civil society that severely restrict the ability of civil society organisations (CSOs) to function independently. With this letter FERN, Global Witness, Greenpeace Africa, Milieudefensie and Rainforest Foundation UK call upon Cameroon’s international partners, including the Dutch government, to ensure the highly restrictive measures are repealed. … Read more