On the occasion of the sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (COP16), The Community Fund for Forests (CFF) reiterates its commitment to the preservation of tropical forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Launched in 2023 by the Rainforest Foundation Norway, The Community Fund for Forests (CFF is a direct financing mechanism designed to support Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs&LCs), the true custodians of these high-integrity forest ecosystems essential to the fight against climate change. 

With its 155 million hectares of forest, the DRC is home to the second largest tropical forest on the planet, playing a central role in carbon sequestration and climate regulation. However, these forests are under increasing pressure from deforestation, exploitation of natural resources and climate change. 

The Community Forest Fund offers direct financial support and technical assistance to local communities to enable them to manage their forest areas sustainably. These initiatives contribute not only to protecting forests, but also to achieving the goals and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework, such as Target 3, aiming to protect 30 % of all land by 2030.

“We can’t achieve 30 by 30 and target 3 without the effort from Indigenous people and recognising them with rights to their land is important in the national strategy for biodiversity protection. The biodiversity in traditional lands is very high and should be included in the NBSAP” said Joseph Itongwa,national Executive Director of the Alliance Nationale d’Appui et de Promotion des Aires et Territoires du Patrimoine Autochtone et Communautaire en RDC (ANAPAC)   

Her Excellency Minister Eve Bazaiba reaffirmed the central role of local communities and indigenous peoples in a side event on Target 3 at COP16:

“ Local development starts at the grassroots. That’s where our forests, our biodiversity and the custodians of these priceless resources are to be found. Our mission is to offer them alternatives to improve their well-being while preserving these ecosystems for the good of all. ” 

For his part, Toerris Jaeger, Executive Director of the Rainforest Foundation Norway, emphasized the importance of community forestry in the Democratic Republic of Congo, described as “Solution Country”: 

“With adequate investment, other conservation measures and community forestry would directly and sustainably reward communities for their conservation efforts. ” 

He also highlighted the challenge of international funding, calling for increased funds dedicated to community-led actions. 

Call for greater mobilization 

Rainforest Foundation Norway, through the Community Forest Fund, welcomes the recommendations of the advocacy note drawn up by civil society, which highlights the importance of funding mechanisms dedicated to forest preservation such as the CFF. This support reflects a growing recognition of the need to mobilize donors and international players to strengthen this mechanism in favor of high-integrity forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to preserve an ecosystem vital to global biodiversity and the well-being of the local communities that depend on it. 

Source: Rainforest Foundation Norway