Central Africa: Climate change and forest degradation

“The forests of the Congo River Basin play an important role in regulating local rainfall and climate. They also absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂), a gas emitted mainly from burning fossil fuels, coal, oil and natural gas – and the major driver for global climate change. But what happens when these forests are lost? That is why the extension of the Kyoto Protocol in Cancun will be critical, and the need for action has not changed. It is not time to retreat, but instead time to scale-up from the bottom-up”.

At a time when Africa is trying to position itself on the international market for carbon credits, Congo Brazzaville, which has already taken many actions to protect its forests, has signed with the World Resources Institute (WRI) an agreement 787 million francs CFA to monitor forest cover change in the country and evaluation of carbon stocks and emissions from forest degradation. This forest monitoring and quantification ¬ carbon stocks are an essential step for the country ¬ position in the market for carbon credits. Moreover, the country hosted the ministers in charge of the ¬ environment and forests of central Africa to prepare for future negotiations on climate change at international level. Joined in the process of reducing greenhouse emissions (REED), the agreement aims to improve the methodological approaches for quantifying the biomass and carbon stocks. The implementation of these evaluation methods used to ensure end to Congo Brazzaville fair financial compensation for the role played by forests in the Congo Basin in the fight against global warming. Funded by the partnership of the Congo Basin, the project will develop and update the information on the degradation of forests, driving forces, its impact on carbon emissions and to advise on the most effective methods for measure and monitor these changes. The countries of the Congo Basin region does not have the expertise nor the human capacity to collect, systematically, data on forest cover change on the extent of the country. This program, developed by the WRI, is therefore preparing a concrete way for the Congolese government to be able to trade its carbon credits on the international market on the basis of reliable data. Congo Brazzaville had Co-organised, with other member states of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Forests Commission (COMIFAC), several meetings on the issue of the environment. The goal was to adopt a common position for Central Africa in the negotiations on the climate change currently held  in Cancun (Mexico).

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