Study shows that 92.2 percent of tree cover loss in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and 48.2 percent in the Republic of Congo (ROC) is linked to small-scale shifting cultivation. Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) and World Resources Institute’s Congo team mapped the rural complex of DRC and ROC, with forest fragmentation to differentiate between the rural complex, fragmented forest and undisturbed forest. The DRC and ROC rural complex maps together enable better understanding which loss is caused by shifting cultivation cycling back to previously farmed areas, and which shows new deforestation, degradation or fragmentation.
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Name
Congo (Democratic Republic)
ISO
CD
Region
Africa
Risk
Deforestation
Yes
Transhipment
Yes
Labour Rights & H&S
Yes
Environment
No
Biodiversity
Yes
Forest Area
Land Area
226,705,000
ha
Forest Area
152,266,594
ha (67.2%)
Forest Legislations 1
New map helps distinguish between cyclical farming and deforestation in the Congo Basin
Global Forest Watch, 16 Jan 2018
African forestry scheme aims to build prosperity by restoring landscape
The Guardian, 6 Dec 2015
Over a dozen African countries to tackle Climate change and boost development by restoring 100m hectares of forest across the continent over the next 15 years. The initiative known as the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) was launched during COP21. It will be underpinned by a $1bn investment from the World Bank in 14 African countries over the next 15 years and by $600m of private sector investment over the same period.
The initiative will also be supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) and the World Resources Institute.