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Threats to the Congo Basin

https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/articles/threats-congo-basin

State of the Forest 2013 is the result of a more than two years’ work between hundreds of experts on the Congo Basin and aims to improve management of Central African ecosystems. This fourth edition of the report is coordinated by the EU-funded Observatory for the Forests for Central Africa(link is external) (Observatoire des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale – OFAC) and is considered one of the successes from the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), a vast initiative of 80 institutions in favour of the sustainable management of Congo Basin forests.

The basin is the world’s second largest tropical forest behind the Amazon. Some consider it as one of the planet’s lungs due to the way it limits the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, as this is captured instead by plants.The forests of Central Africa (drawn from 10 countries) are also a major economic resource as they provide direct employment in the wood industry as well as livelihoods for about 60 million locals, including indigenous groups.

Due to its amazing biodiversity, interest in its conservation is growing fast, but so too are the human pressures on its ecosystem.

Deforestation and forest exploitation

Recent estimates of deforestation in the Congo Basin show a relatively stable rate of between 0.15 and 0.20% per year, representing an annual deforested area of 250,000 to 300,000 hectares. This rate is the lowest observed among the three main tropical forest regions (along with the Amazon and Southeast Asia).

Unlike other forested regions, the drivers of deforestation in the Congo Basin are mainly small-scale agriculture and fuel wood gathering by the local population. This population will double in the next 20 years and increase the pressure on the ecosystems. New investors are also arriving in the agro-industry, mining and oil sectors, which can jeopardise efforts for improving governance. The need for a long-term planning of the territory, with a cross-sectoral approach, is described in the report.

Congo Basin countries, with the support of the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade(link is external) (EU FLEGT) action plan, have considerably improved the management of their production forests. After 10 years, about 40% of the exploited forests have a proper sustainable management plan and 18% of forests under production are certified.

 However, according to Philippe Mayaux, Head of Head of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Sector at EuropeAid, “the governance is still deficient in many public and private stakeholders, which requires a permanent diligence of the civil society to improve the situation”.

One chapter details possible climate change scenarios in the Congo Basin, with some adaptation strategies for an anticipated temperature increase of 3.5 degrees towards the end of the 21st century. Meanwhile, Central Africa is a strong voice in the negotiations on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation(link is external) (REDD+) in the frame of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Biodiversity

The Congo Basin is the sanctuary of many African apes (Bonobos, Chimpanzees, and Gorillas) and other mammals, such as the Central African elephant and forest buffalo. These native species are victims of national and transnational poaching networks. Since 1980, the Central African Elephant population has declined by 62%, which can be linked to the economic boom in China, where there is growing demand for ivory. Some experts estimate that if poaching stays at its current level, the elephants may disappear from Central Africa within 20 years.

“It’s dramatic for the populations of elephants of course but it’s also dramatic for the forests, because the elephants are considered as the gardeners of the forest,” Mr Mayaux said. “They ingest big seeds of the commercial trees and they have a role of dissemination of the seeds and so they are really an excellent player in the forest dynamics. Without the elephants we will lose the regeneration of the forest, so that’s extremely important.” 

Great Apes are following the same trend due to the trade in bush meat, habitat destruction and infectious disease.

Improved protected-area management, especially law enforcement and sound wildlife management in border regions are vital for biodiversity conservation. Initiatives like the Trans-boundary Protected Areas (TPAs) contribute to this. Six TPAs have been created in the past 10 years, including the Greater Virunga Trans-boundary Collaboration (GVTC) between Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.

 This initiative enhances the conservation effort between the three countries through trans-boundary activities, while improved monitoring and security measures have helped arrest the decline in endangered gorillas. An upcoming gorilla census is planned by the GVTC to check whether their numbers have changed since the last 2010 census which counted 880.

A focus on dry forests

The report brings a new insight into what people generally understand by ‘forest’, with one chapter dedicated to the Savannas and steppes areas of Chad, Cameroon and Central African Republic. This type of forest is crucial for people who practice seasonal, mobile farming techniques. In such dry conditions, seasonal agriculture is the most well-developed activity, rather than timber forest production.

Bee keeping to produce mead is an important source of income, while locals also extract medicinal plants, cosmetics or even tools and utensils (mortars, pestles etc.) made from the many types of wood.

Trees and bushes also constitute an important supply of feed for livestock, providing essential proteins, vitamins and minerals. The harvesting of wood-fuel is crucial as it is the principal energy source for cooking.

Desertification is already occurring on the Savanna and the steppes, and is aggravated by non-sustainable environmental practices such as bush fires and excessive resource exploitation. As these regions represent a territory of 154.4 million hectares with a notable carbon capture potential, they also warrant particular attention for the REDD+ negotiations.

Tree plantations and agroforestry

Land degradation after deforestation and permanent cultivation is a serious problem for many small farmers, since the soil fertility is low in the Congo Basin. One solution? To use the land more efficiently, such as through agroforestry and tree domestication.

A tree is considered “wild” when growing in a natural ecosystem, independent of any human action. It is considered “domesticated” when its specific genetic characteristics are chosen to be grown in a controlled environment. Agroforestry is a relatively recent word to describe the ancient practice of growing trees along with other crops and animals to benefit the environment as a whole.

The report stated: “Agroforestry combines the protective attributes of forestry with the productive characteristics of both forestry and agriculture to create more integrated, diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land-use systems.”

All of these challenges (deforestation, sustainable management, land-use, biodiversity, poaching and more) are now the subject of talks between member states of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC), who have been negotiating the REDD+ mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 

 This collaborative piece was drafted by Héloïse Texier with input from Philippe Mayaux at EuropeAid. Teaser image courtesy of Paul Godard(link is external).

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DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interests of knowledge sharing and capacity development and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.