ATTACHMENT 22_ DRC-CARPE TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY (118-119) FINAL 10-25-18.pdf

USAID GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT (GEMS)

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY

ASSESSMENT FOR CENTRAL AFRICAN REGIONAL

PROGRAM FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (CARPE) AND

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)

AUGUST 2018

This document was prepared by The Cadmus Group LLC under USAID’s Global Environmental Management Support Program, Contract Number GS-10F-0105J. The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

PHOTO CREDIT: J. JOLLEY

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND

BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR

CARPE AND THE DRC

August 2018

Prepared by:

The Cadmus Group LLC 100 Fifth Avenue, Suite 100 Waltham, MA 02451 617-673-7000 Fax 617-673-7001 www.cadmusgroup.com

DISCLAIMER

The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.

http://www.cadmusgroup.com/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................................................................................. I ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................................................................................................... III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................................ VII

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 PURPOSE

1.2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE USAID PROGRAM

1.3 METHODOLOGY

2 CONGO BASIN REGIONAL OVERVIEW

2.1 LOCATION AND REGIONAL CONTEXT

2.2 BIOPHYSICAL SETTING

3 BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS IN CONGO BASIN

3.1 CURRENT STATUS AND TRENDS

3.2 KEY THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY AND FORESTS

3.3 PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY AND FORESTRY

3.4 VALUE AND ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

4 LEGAL FRAMEWORK AFFECTING CONSERVATION

4.1 INSTITUTIONS AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK

4.2 TRANSBOUNDARY CONSIDERATIONS FOR BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FOREST

MANAGEMENT

4.3 CONSERVATION INITIATIVES: GAP ANALYSIS

5 ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY (INCLUDING TROPICAL FORESTS)

6 EXTENT TO WHICH THE MISSION MEETS THE IDENTIFIED ACTIONS NEEDED

7 RECOMMENDATIONS

7.1 RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY

(INCLUDING TROPICAL FORESTS)

8 COUNTRY-SPECIFIC INFORMATION DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

8.1 DESCRIPTION OF USAID BILATERAL PROGRAMMING

8.2 STATUS OF BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS

8.3 STATUS AND MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS

8.4 LEGAL FRAMEWORK AFFECTING CONSERVATION

8.5 INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

8.6 KEY THREATS AND DRIVERS TO BIODIVERISTY AND FORESTS IN DRC

8.7 RECOMMENDATIONS

ANNEX A: SCOPE OF WORK

ANNEX B: BIO-SKETCHES

ANNEX C: REFERENCES

ANNEX D: STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTED

ANNEX E: ADDITIONAL TABLES

ANNEX F: SITE VISIT DETAILS/CASE STUDIES

ANNEX G: ADDITIONAL ECOSYSTEM, BIODIVERSITY, AND THREATS RESOURCES AND DATA

TABLE OF TABLES

TABLE 1. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES AND INTERMEDIATE RESULTS FROM THE USAID/CARPE RDCS (2012-2020)

TABLE 2. CONGO BASIN FOREST AREA AND BY COUNTRY IN CENTRAL AFRICA

TABLE 3. MANGROVE DIVERSITY AND RATE OF CHANGE IN COVER

TABLE 4. ENDEMISM AND THREATENED SPECIES IN THE CONGO BASIN

TABLE 5. EXAMPLES OF SPECIES IN CENTRAL AFRICA OF SIGNIFICANT SOCIAL, ECONOMIC,

ENVIRONMENTAL, OR SCIENTIFIC IMPORTANCE

TABLE 6. DIRECT THREATS TO TROPICAL FORESTS AND BIODIVERSITY IN THE CONGO BASIN

TABLE 7. DRIVERS OF THREATS TO TROPICAL FORESTS AND BIODIVERSITY

TABLE 8. MARINE PROTECTED AREA IN CENTRAL AFRICA

TABLE 9. REGIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

TABLE 10. TRANSBOUNDARY ECOSYSTEMS AND PROTECTED AREAS

TABLE 11 NECESSARY ACTIONS, IN ORDER OF PRIORITY

TABLE 12. EXTENT TO WHICH DRIVERS ARE ADDRESSED BY USAID/CARPE AND USAID/DRC

PROGRAMMING

TABLE 13. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 1: BUILD SOCIETAL CULTURE AND SYSTEM OF

GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY

TABLE 14. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 2: INCENTIVIZE INVESTMENTS IN GROWING ECONOMIES

OF SCALE FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES AND ANIMAL PROTEIN PRODUCTION

TABLE 15. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 3: TAKE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CHANGE PUBLIC

BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

TABLE 16. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 4: INVEST IN PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING NON-

WOOD FUEL ENERGY SOURCES THROUGHOUT THE CONGO BASIN

TABLE 17. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 5: CREATE INCLUSIVE PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT

STRUCTURES, PETITION GOVERNMENTS TO CREATE MORE PROTECTED AREAS, AND FOCUS

RESOURCES SOLELY ON SAFEGUARDING BIODIVERSITY AND FOREST RESOURCES

TABLE 18. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 6: INVEST IN LONG-TERM REGIONAL RESEARCH TO BETTER

INFORM DECISIONMAKERS AND LAND USE PLANNING ACTIVITIES

TABLE 19. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 7: PROMOTE DATA-DRIVEN SUSTAINABLE NATURAL

RESOURCE EXTRACTION, TRANSPARENCY, AND MEANS TO MITIGATE POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS

FROM EXTRACTION ACTIVITIES

TABLE 20. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES AND INTERMEDIATE RESULTS FROM THE USAID/DRC CDCS (2014-2019)

TABLE 21. LIST OF PROTECTED AREAS AND RARE, ENDEMIC AND/OR THREATENED SPECIES FOUND

WITHIN (NON-EXHAUSTIVE)

TABLE 22. DRC LEGAL FRAMEWORK AFFECTING CONSERVATION,,,

TABLE 23. USAID/DRC ECONOMIC GROWTH OFFICE RECOMMENDATIONS

TABLE 24. USAID/DRC PEACE AND SECURITY OFFICE RECOMMENDATIONS

TABLE 25. USAID/DRC DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND GOVERNANCE OFFICE

RECOMMENDATIONS

TABLE 26. USAID/DRC HEALTH OFFICE RECOMMENDATIONS

TABLE 27: USAID/DRC EDUCATION OFFICE RECOMMENDATIONS

TABLE 28: USAID OFFICE OF FOOD FOR PEACE RECOMMENDATIONS

TABLE OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1. CARPE LANDSCAPES

FIGURE 2. PROJECTED POPULATION DENSITY 2015 - 2020

FIGURE 3. ECOSYSTEMS OF CENTRAL AFRICA

FIGURE 4. DEFORESTATION IN CENTRAL AFRICA

FIGURE 5. RIVERS AND WETLANDS OF CENTRAL AFRICA

FIGURE 6. ROADSIDE BUSHMEAT VENDOR - LAMBARÉNÉ, GABON

FIGURE 7. AFRICAN GOLDEN CAT

FIGURE 8. PROTECTED AREAS IN CENTRAL AFRICA

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC i

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to the members of the GEMS team for their diligent work to complete this assessment:

• James Jolley

• Byron Kominek

• Ashley Fox

• Jaime Rooke

• Dr. Patience Kabamba

• Pierre Bissouekeme

• Dr. Corneille Ewango

• Dr. Nicolas Mwanza

• Martial Agondogo

The GEMS team would like to express their gratitude to the following people who assisted in the completion of this assignment either through technical direction or logistical support:

• Nicodeme Tchamou, USAID

• Diane Russell, USAID

• Diane Mbanzidi, USAID

• Mario Mondele, US Embassy Brazzaville

• Dieumerci Nyembu

• Jean Claude Miyouna

Special thanks to Cyrille Mvele and Heather Arrowood of OELO, and Alden Whittaker of the USFWS in Gabon, to Carey Farley of WWF and his team in the DRC, to Jonas Muhindu and Jonas Nyumu in Kisangani, DRC, as well as to Emma Stokes of WCS and her team in the Republic of Congo, Gabon and the DRC.

Furthermore, we would like to thank all those who were interviewed as stakeholders for offering their time, insights, and contacts to ensure this assessment was as thorough as possible. The list of these stakeholders can be found in Annex D.

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC ii

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC iii

ACRONYMS

AEC African Economic Community

AFD Agence Français de Développement

AFREA Association of the Forestry Research Institutions of Eastern Africa

ALP Accelerated Learning Programs

ANPN Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux

ATO The African Tiber Association

CBFF Congo Basin Forest Fund

CBFP Congo Basin Forest Partnership

CAR Central African Republic

CAFEC Central Africa Forest Ecosystems Conservation

CARPE Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment

CBI Congo Basin Institute

CBO Community Based Organization

CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy

CEFDHAC Conference on Central African Moist Forest Ecosystems

CITES Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

CRSN- Lwiro Center for Research in Natural Science

COMIFAC Commission of Central African Forests

CORAF Conférence de responsables de Recherché Agronomique Africains

CSO Civil Society Organization

CAWHFI Central Africa World Heritage Initiative

DCA Development Credit Authority

DFID United Kingdom Department for International Development

DG USAID/DRC Office of Democracy and Governance

DPEM Department for the Protection of the Mining Environment

DRC Democratic Republic of the Congo

DO Development Objective

DOI Department of the Interior

ECCAS Economic Community of Central African States

ECGLC Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries

EG Equatorial Guinea

EMAPS Environmental Monitoring and Policy Support

FAA Foreign Assistance Act

FFP Food for Peace Office

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC iv

FORNESSA The Forestry Research Network for Sub-Saharan Africa

FTF Feed the Future

GDA Global Development Alliances

GDRC Government of DRC

GEEC Group for Environmental Studies of the Congo

GEMS Global Environmental Management Support

GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft Für International Zusammenarbeit

ICCN Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation

IDP Internally Displaced Person

IR Intermediate Result

ITTO International Tropical Timber Organization

JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency

LRA Lord’s Resistance Army

LPG Liquified Petroleum Gas

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

MENCT Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism

MOH Ministry of Health

OES Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

OSFAC Satellite Observatory of Central African Forests

PA Protected Area

PPP Public-Private Partnership

PSO USAID/DRC Office of Peace and Security

PROGEPP Project for Ecosystem Management of the Periphery of the Nouabele-Ndoki National Park

RDCS Regional Development Cooperation Strategy

REPALEF Network of Indigenous and Local Populations for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems

RMT Responsible Minerals Trade Program

RIGO Regional intergovernmental organization

ROC Republic of Congo

SADC Southern African Development Community

SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

TNS Sangha Tri-National

TO Transition Objective

TRIDOM Oja-Odzala-Minkebe

UNCCD UN Convention on Combating Desertification

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC v

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme European Union

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization

VPA-FLEGT DRC-EU Voluntary Partnership Agreement

WCS Wildlife Conservation Society

WWF World Wildlife Fund

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC vi

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC vii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

This 118/119 Assessment supports the USAID/Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) and USAID/Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Mission in implementation of the 2012-2020 Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS) and the 2014-2019 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), respectively, and will inform the strategic planning and prioritization for the next RDCS/CDCS for the period 2019-2024. Specifically, this Assessment achieves the following, as required by the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) Sections 118 and 119:

A) Identifies actions necessary to conserve tropical forests and biodiversity and the extent to which the Mission meets the “actions necessary,” and

B) Develops recommendations that will guide USAID in updating the “extent to which” section in the new regional strategy.

The Assessment places emphasis on countries where CARPE is working but also identifies regional level linkages and threats/transboundary issues, such as wildlife trafficking. The Assessment field work focused on population centers, including urban and peri-urban areas, from which the potential anthropogenic effects on biodiversity and tropical forests were generated. Field work was conducted in and around Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kivu, and Kisangani (DRC); Brazzaville, Dolisie and Pointe Noire (ROC); and Libreville and Lambaréné (Gabon).

The Assessment analyzes direct environmental threats and their drivers (i.e., root causes) (Section

3) as the means to identifying actions necessary for biodiversity and tropical forestry conservation (Section 5). Environmental threats are described in terms of direct threats (i.e., direct human actions that harm biodiversity, tropical forests, and the environment. The Assessment also describes biodiversity, forests, and ecosystems—along with key environmental trends and impacts of development (Section 3.1), the state of the environment and natural resource management (Section 3.3), the value and economic potential of biodiversity and forests (Section 3.4), the legal and institutional framework in the region related to biodiversity and forests (Section 4), the actions necessary to conserve biodiversity (Section 5), USAID programming and the extent to which it achieves the actions necessary (Section 6), and strategic recommendations for USAID programming to conserve biodiversity (Section 7). A separate analysis on the DRC focuses on these same topics described above to provide actionable recommendations specific to the USAID/DRC Mission (Section 8).

ANTHROPOGENIC FOCUS

Many scientists are calling the current geological epoch the “Anthropocene” because of the disproportionate impact of humans on natural systems. Some anthropogenic impacts, such as the use of fire, are ancient while others, like climate change and biodiversity loss, are relatively new and rapidly accelerated. Climate change results from the release of vast amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, while the loss of biodiversity results from accelerated land use change and overexploitation. These impacts largely derive, both directly and indirectly, from decisions made and actions undertaken by the economic and political powers located in centers of demand and decision-making.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropocene

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC viii

To understand these decisions and to mitigate anthropogenic impacts, it is crucial to gain insight into political economic drivers at their source. Therefore, an analysis of threats to tropical forests and biodiversity should concentrate inquiry at centers of demand and decision-making, through interviews with those directly involved. For example, the commercial bushmeat trade and “artisanal” logging cannot be analyzed, or mitigated, solely by focusing on rural areas because these industries respond to urban demand and are controlled by urban-based elites. Even an ostensibly rural-driven impact such as the expansion of shifting cultivation must be understood through the lens of land governance policies and the economics of agricultural demand outside of rural areas (e.g., insecure land tenure and poor infrastructure) among other factors.

This innovative “people-centered” approach, including interviews with actors shaping demand and decisions, and modeling the political economy, will advance USAID efforts to understand and address the root causes of tropical forest and biodiversity loss and to avoid potentially ineffective solutions. This approach, deployed by CARPE and USAID/DRC, informed the site selection, the development of interview guides and the final analysis of this Assessment. These findings developed using the “people-centered” approach will not only support CARPE and USAID/DRC programming going forward but can also be a learning tool for USAID at large.

MAJOR ECOSYSTEMS

The Congo Basin is a vast and ecologically diverse region with many different ecoregions (see Figure 3 in Section 3 of the Assessment, which shows a map of the ecosystems in the region). The countries of Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of the Congo (ROC), Equatorial Guinea (EG), and Gabon are bound to the north by the Sudan-Guinea Savanna biome. Below the savanna lies a strip of rainforest-savanna mosaic, which stretches from the northern half of Cameroon, through CAR and into the northeastern edge of DRC. This mosaic transitions into the vast tropical rainforest of the Congo Basin. Beginning in the southern half of Cameroon, the rainforest stretches through Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, ROC, CAR and DRC with approximately 60 percent of the forest area in these six countries located in DRC. Straddling the DRC boundaries with Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, the Afromontane biome is comprised of the Albertine Rift montane forests and the Rwenzori-Virunga montane moorlands. The region is bound to the south by another strip of Rainforest-Savanna Mosaic (crossing through ROC and DRC) and a patch of Zambezian Woodland in the southern region of DRC.

THREATS AND DRIVERS

Results of the desk review, interviews, and site visits reveal numerous threats to biodiversity and forests in Central Africa. The most significant threats were identified as: harvesting for wood fuel (specifically firewood and charcoal); bushmeat hunting; poaching and wildlife trafficking; and agricultural expansion.

Selective hunting, international trafficking of wildlife products of targeted species, and selective timber extraction coupled with an increasing population and expansion of settlements in the Congo Basin will have tremendous negative impacts on biodiversity conservation and tropical forests. Other important threats include commercial and artisanal logging; mining; oil extraction; and commercial and artisanal fishing that use unsustainable or illegal practices.

A driver is a constraint, opportunity or other important variable that positively or negatively influences direct threats. There are many drivers of the threats identified above, but weak governance and wanton

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC ix corruption, regional and domestic instability due to armed conflicts, a lack of viable and affordable non-wood fuel and other energy sources, a lack of economic alternatives and the inability to invest in new ventures, and a lack of non-bushmeat protein sources have been identified as the most significant and influential drivers in the region. A complete list of drivers and their associated threats is identified in Table ES. 1. Protected areas throughout the region (particularly in eastern DRC) have suffered notably from armed occupation and exploitation of their natural resources. Population growth is closely correlated with many drivers, particularly with bushmeat hunting, harvesting of wood fuel, and agricultural expansion. The expected doubling of the population in Central Africa over the next 20 years and the effects of climate change are expected to intensify these drivers.

TABLE ES. 1. DRIVERS OF THREATS TO TROPICAL FORESTS AND BIODIVERSITY

DRIVERS THREATS

Poor governance Bushmeat hunting; Wildlife trafficking; Firewood and charcoal harvesting;

Unsustainable and illegal logging; Agricultural expansion; Illegal and unsustainable fishing practices; Pollution and ecosystem degradation from oil / gas / mineral extraction

Government corruption Bushmeat hunting; Wildlife trafficking; Unsustainable and illegal forestry;

Agricultural expansion; Illegal and unsustainable fishing practices; Pollution and degradation from oil / gas / mineral extraction; War and conflict

Regional and local instability/civil unrest

Bushmeat hunting; Wildlife trafficking; Unsustainable and illegal forestry;

Agricultural expansion; Artisanal mining; Pollution and degradation from oil / gas / mineral extraction; War and conflict

Lack of non-wood fuels and alternative energy sources for cooking and heating

Firewood and charcoal harvesting; Large-scale hydropower development

Lack of viable non-bushmeat protein alternatives

Bushmeat hunting; Illegal and unsustainable fishing practices; Agricultural expansion

Limited or poor regional coordination

Leakage of unsustainable or illegal activities; Unsustainable and illegal forestry;

Wildlife trafficking; Illegal and unsustainable fishing practices

Rapid population growth

Bushmeat hunting; Firewood and charcoal harvesting; Human-wildlife conflict;

War and conflict; Agricultural expansion; Oil and gas exploration / exploitation;

Commercial logging; Commercial mining; Wildlife trafficking and poaching;

Pollution and degradation from oil / gas / mineral extraction

Development and increased access to forest areas

Firewood and charcoal harvesting; Bushmeat hunting; Agricultural expansion;

Human-wildlife conflict; Increased risk of wildfire; Wildlife trafficking; War and conflict

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC x

TABLE ES. 1. DRIVERS OF THREATS TO TROPICAL FORESTS AND BIODIVERSITY

DRIVERS THREATS

Economic hardship/lack of alternative livelihoods

Bushmeat hunting; Unsustainable and illegal forestry; Illegal and unsustainable fishing practices; Shifting cultivation; Illegal fishing; War and conflict

Lack of education/lack of knowledge

Bushmeat hunting; Illegal and unsustainable fishing practices; Unsustainable and illegal forestry; Pollution and degradation from oil / gas / mineral extraction;

Shifting cultivation

Cultural preferences for bushmeat/traditional beliefs

Bushmeat Hunting; Wildlife trafficking; Firewood and charcoal harvesting; Shifting cultivation

Foreign economic / political pressure

Pollution and degradation from oil / gas / mineral extraction; Illegal and unsustainable fishing practices; Commercial logging; Commercial mining; Wildlife trafficking; Introduction of invasive plants and animals

Natural disasters / climate change

Deforestation; Destruction or degradation of habitats; Inability of species to adapt quickly enough to survive climactic changes; Civil unrest and expanded exploitation of new forest resources; Increased risk of wildfire

ACTIONS NECESSARY

This Assessment evaluated the threats and drivers to identify key actions necessary to conserve biodiversity in the region. Table ES.2 lists the necessary actions that were developed through stakeholder consultations, field visits, and desk research. The table also identifies the drivers that would be addressed by each necessary action. More detail on these necessary actions is provided in Section 5.

TABLE ES. 2. ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS

Necessary Action Drivers Addressed

Necessary Action 1 – Strengthen effectiveness of government and civil society to manage natural resources

• Poor governance

• Political will, corruption

• Regional and local instability/civil unrest

• Economic hardships / lack of alternative livelihoods

• Foreign economic/ political pressure

• Development and increased access to forest areas

• Limited or poor regional coordination

• Lack of education / lack of knowledge

Necessary Action 2 – Improve national and regional economic stability through rule of law, effective administration, and market diversification

• Economic hardship/lack of alternative livelihoods

• Regional and local instability/ civil unrest

• Poor governance

• Government corruption

• Lack of education / lack of knowledge

• Natural disasters / climate change

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xi

TABLE ES. 2. ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY AND TROPICAL FORESTS

Necessary Action Drivers Addressed

Necessary Action 3 – Change behaviors, at all socioeconomic levels, to decrease the unsustainable use of natural resources

• Lack of education/ lack of knowledge

• Cultural preference for bushmeat/ traditional beliefs

• Lack of viable non-bushmeat protein alternatives

• Poor governance

Necessary Action 4 – Improve access to non-biomass energy sources and energy efficient infrastructure

• Lack of non-wood fuels for cooking and heating

• Economic hardship/ lack of alternative livelihoods

• Poor governance

• Government corruption

• Foreign economic/ political pressure

Necessary Action 5 – Increase societal interest in and access to affordable and acceptable non-bushmeat protein

• Economic hardships/ lack of alternative livelihoods

• Lack of viable non-bushmeat protein alternatives

• Cultural preferences for bushmeat/ traditional beliefs

• Lack of education / lack of knowledge

Necessary Action 6 – Support the expansion and effective management of protected areas

• Rapid population growth

• Development and increased access to forest areas

• Natural disasters/ climate change

• Lack of education/ lack of knowledge

• Foreign economic / political pressure

• Poor governance

• Regional and local instability / civil unrest

Necessary Action 7- Support the development of in-region expertise and fundamental research initiatives

• Lack of education/lack of knowledge

• Natural disasters/ climate change

• Poor governance

• Limited or poor regional coordination

• Development and increased access to forest areas

Necessary Action 8 - Strengthen regulatory enforcement of commercial extraction activities while improving the sustainability of artisanal extraction practices

• Poor governance

• Government corruption

• Lack of education/ lack of knowledge

• Development and increased access to forest areas

• Lack of non-wood fuels for cooking and heating

• Foreign economic/ political pressure

• Limited or poor regional coordination

RECOMMENDATIONS: USAID/CARPE PROGRAMMING

This Assessment identifies seven strategic recommendations based on the results of the gap analysis comparing the actions necessary to existing USAID/CARPE programming. These seven recommendations for USAID/CARPE programming are categorized, as summarized in Table ES.3, as short- to medium-term, and medium- to long-term so that USAID can appropriately focus certain actions on existing programming (short-medium term) and additional actions on future programming (medium-long term). Refer to the recommendations in Section 7 for more detail. (Note that the recommendations for the USAID/DRC Mission are included below in Section 1.5 and in Section 8.7.)

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xii

TABLE ES. 3. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USAID/CARPE PROGRAMMING

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 1: BUILD SOCIETAL CULTURE AND SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENTAL

ACCOUNTABILITY

Relevant USAID/DRC Offices: CARPE; Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Office; Peace and Security Office Relevant USAID/Washington Offices: Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Office; Forestry and Biodiversity Office

Short-to-Medium Term Recommendations

• Coordinate efforts across international organizations, donors, and within the U.S. government on engagement practices in democracy and governance and conservation activities.

• Facilitate open, transparent dialogue, document sharing, and informational workshops between government ministries and departments to encourage internal collaboration.

• Encourage centralized government institutions to further delegate and decentralize technical and financial decision-making powers to provincial/local departments.

• Encourage government to further finance and empower wildlife and forest crime investigators and enforcement officers.

• Facilitate regional collaboration and harmonization of regulations pertaining to wildlife offtake, conservation, and natural resource extraction to prevent leakage.

Medium-Long Term Recommendations

• Establish national and regional communication platforms to popularize conservation laws and initiatives between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs), government agencies, and private sector interests.

• Fund local CSOs directly over the long term, rather than via international NGOs, to build local technical, financial, administrative, and management capacity.

Recommendations for Current CARPE Activities

• Increase direct support to responsible government departments and agencies (e.g., capacity building to investigative institutions; institutionalize protocols for investigation of wildlife and forestry crimes; purchase monitoring and enforcement equipment such as lights, radar, & radio; internal anti-corruption campaigns).

• Expand technical assistance and capacity building to judicial officials, journalists, watchdog groups, and monitoring and enforcement agencies to new geographies (e.g., landscapes, urban and peri-urban centers with high demand).

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 2: INCENTIVIZE INVESTMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD

ACTIVITIES AND ANIMAL PROTEIN PRODUCTION AT A SCALE COMMENSURATE WITH NEED

Relevant USAID/DRC Offices: CARPE; Economic Growth Office Relevant USAID/Washington Offices: Development Credit Authority (DCA); Global Development Alliances (GDA); Forestry and Biodiversity Office; Bureau of Food Security; Economic Policy Office

Medium-Long Term Recommendations

• Provide technical assistance to national, provincial, and local governments to incentivize the development of diversified economies.

• Provide technical assistance to responsible ministries to maintain, improve, and expand transportation networks to improve commerce.

• Create DCA agreements and GDAs for businesses and individuals to decrease initial capital costs for developing sustainable livelihoods (i.e. cash crop agriculture; agroforestry; value addition to non-timber forest products) and managing sustainable exploitation of natural resources.

• Engage traditional authorities, traditional societies, or other social leaders to create CSOs that support and increase long term sustainable economic activities (for which the leaders are responsible). Provide support to the CSOs to develop the capacity to receive and manage small grants from NGOs, USAID, and other donors.

• Create cooperative agreements with CSOs and NGOs for programs near urban and peri-urban areas to develop animal husbandry and aquaculture. The programs should include veterinary vocational training (e.g., insemination practices and healthcare), small-scale loans for purchase of domesticated animals and equipment, and should include activities for improving access to markets (e.g., transportation, roads, networking opportunities, and branding/marketing).

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xiii

TABLE ES. 3. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USAID/CARPE PROGRAMMING

Recommendations for Current CARPE Activities

• Encourage partners implementing activities in landscapes to hire and train more residents from nearby communities (including traditional authorities and vulnerable people) as either essential staff or conservation educators.

• Intensify efforts by implementing partners in landscapes, and buffer zones, to coordinate the organization of bushmeat and charcoal traders, fishermen, and artisanal miners into associations or cooperatives, and sensitize, train, and fund the organizations on sustainable exploitation of the landscape resources.

• Through ongoing small animal husbandry activities, expand training on artificial insemination and basic veterinary practices.

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xiv

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 3: TAKE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CHANGE PUBLIC BEHAVIOR

TOWARDS THE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

Relevant USAID/DRC Offices: CARPE; Health Office; Education Office; Peace and Security Office Relevant USAID/Washington Offices: Forestry and Biodiversity Office; Local Sustainability Office; Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment; Education Office; Global Health Bureau;

Short-to-Medium Term Recommendations

• Collaborate with CSOs and NGOs to expand their presence in urban and peri-urban areas to dissuade consumption of threatened/endangered bushmeat.

• Conduct numerous low-cost educational activities (e.g., taste testing comparisons, cooking contests using clean cookstoves, biggest chicken or goat competition, employing conservation/environmental educators) at public gathering points (e.g., hospitals, clinics, courts, police stations, markets, churches) to change behavior towards the use of natural resource products.

• Encourage CSOs and NGOs to hire former members of armed groups (or those capable of gaining trust of armed youth) to create informal dialogue with armed youth about conservation initiatives and potential employment opportunities.

Medium-Long Term Actionable Recommendations

• Organize, educate, and encourage key figures with influence at the regional, national, and community level to communicate and promote behavior change on the conservation of natural resources.

• Promote curriculum in primary schools (and communities) in environmental science and awareness of wildlife and forestry.

• Coordinate with and organize religious leaders into national platforms to preserve the environment (as has been done to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS).

• Fund national, provincial, and local media campaigns (e.g., opinion pieces in newspapers and blogs, radio emissions, tv interviews) aimed at behavior change on the conservation of natural resources.

• Develop outreach programs to bushmeat and charcoal vendors at city markets and restaurants to offer economically viable alternatives to bushmeat and charcoal commerce.

Recommendations for Current CARPE Activities N/A

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xv

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 4: INVEST IN PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING NON-WOOD FUEL

ENERGY SOURCES THROUGHOUT THE CONGO BASIN

Relevant USAID/DRC Offices: CARPE; Economic Growth Office Relevant USAID/Washington Offices: Forestry and Biodiversity Office; Local Sustainability Office; Economic Policy Office

• Collaborate with NGOs and industry associations to promote the development of sustainable wood fuel and charcoal production areas (i.e. agroforestry, and woodlots in peri-urban areas).

Medium-Long Term Recommendations

• Develop DCA agreements and GDAs with small hydropower, natural gas, and renewable energy companies (e.g., solar, biogas) to lower capital costs for communities to procure affordable cooking fuel and energy.

• Encourage competition and private enterprise in the energy sector by (1) assisting governments in developing the appropriate regulatory framework, and by (2) reducing and eliminating government monopolies in the sector (including the LPG production and distribution system).

• Develop DCAs or GDAs with LPG companies to manage the production, distribution and sale of affordable LPG to potential consumers across the region (e.g. via consumer payment plans, and loans).

• Support strategic initiatives, including the development of cooperatives, to expand reliable and affordable electrification via on-grid and off-grid projects throughout the region.

Recommendations for Current CARPE Activities

• Expand the promotion and incentivization of the use of energy efficient cookstoves and the commercial production of cookstoves to attain economies of scale.

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xvi

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 5: CREATE INCLUSIVE PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT

STRUCTURES, PETITION GOVERNMENTS TO CREATE MORE PROTECTED AREAS, AND FOCUS

RESOURCES SOLELY ON SAFEGUARDING BIODIVERSITY AND FOREST RESOURCES

Relevant USAID/DRC Offices: CARPE; Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Office; Health Office Relevant USAID/Washington Offices: Forestry and Biodiversity Office; Local Sustainability Office; Office of Sustainable Development; Global Climate Change Office; Land Tenure and Resource Management Office

Short-to-Medium Term Recommendations

• Encourage partners managing CARPE landscapes to incorporate new stakeholders (e.g., communities, CSOs, NGOs, tourism businesses) into the management of protected areas to capitalize on each groups’ skillsets.

• Encourage governments to designate new protected areas outside of the current CARPE landscapes to act as biodiversity anchors. Those forests and ecosystems that will remain stable/unaffected by the effects of climate change should be given the highest priority.

• Emphasize family planning efforts, provide nutritional information about non-bushmeat protein alternatives, and promote the health benefits of clean cookstoves, in protected area buffer zones.

Medium-Long Term Recommendations

• Ensure that a consortium of partners, with a representation of the necessary areas of expertise, is required in future RFPs/RFAs for conservation in CARPE landscapes to manage all elements of the protected areas based on each partner’s expertise.

• Support community and small holder forestry management initiatives in areas outside of protected areas to promote community managed buffer zones.

• Seek out, invite, and collaborate with international, regional, and national researchers to determine sustainable offtake of non-timber forest products and wildlife from protected areas and buffer zone areas. Use such information to inform traditional authorities, government officials, and CSOs.

Recommendations for Current CARPE Activities

• Continue sensitizing nearby communities on the risk of crossing boundaries into protected areas (e.g., arrest by officials, capture by armed groups, wildlife conflict).

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xvii

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 6: INVEST IN LONG-TERM REGIONAL RESEARCH TO BETTER

INFORM DECISIONMAKERS AND LAND USE PLANNING ACTIVITIES

Relevant USAID/DRC Offices: CARPE; Education Office Relevant USAID/Washington Offices: Forestry and Biodiversity Office; Local Sustainability Office; Education Office

Short-to-Medium Term Recommendations

• Fund the salaries, stipends, and equipment for national researchers and graduate students to work in the

CARPE landscapes to gain hands-on experience.

• Fund the analysis of government policies on natural resource management/exploitation to find opportunities to influence societal or economic changes (e.g., encourage the use of non-timber forest products).

Medium-Long Term Recommendations

• Develop and provide public access to a searchable database of research on the species and ecosystem interactions in the Congo Basin.

• Fund the purchase and training on the use of satellite monitoring equipment/software to monitor all maritime commercial fishing boats, for relevant government staff in the DRC, and ROC (already exists in Gabon).

• Fund long term higher-level education (both professors and students) at research universities to improve the national capacity to conduct conservation research initiatives, including the use of non-timber forest products.

• Support establishment and expansion of national and provincial arboretums for the collection, research, and propagation of species.

• Fund research on; (1) the taxonomy of species in forest ecologies, (2), the interface between agriculture and forested areas, including socio-economic-political relationships, (3), the interrelation between forest species to understand how species change when other species are strengthened, degraded, removed, or added, (4), the average distance of population centers to primary forests/biodiversity hot spots/protected areas, and the factors that drive people away from urban centers, and, (5) the expected impacts of climate change on forests and biodiversity, and the identification of the ecosystems that will likely survive the changing climate.

N/A

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xviii

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION 7: PROMOTE DATA-DRIVEN SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE

EXTRACTION, TRANSPARENCY, AND MEANS TO MITIGATE POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS FROM

EXTRACTION ACTIVITIES

Relevant USAID/DRC Offices: CARPE; Economic Growth Office; Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Office Relevant USAID/Washington Offices: Forestry and Biodiversity Office; Local Sustainability Office; Global Development Lab; Office of Sustainable Development; Global Climate Change Office; Energy and Infrastructure Office; Trade and Regulatory Reform Office; Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance; Power Africa Office

• Encourage governments to delineate and provide publicly available data on the areas of permitted concessions for mineral extraction (artisanal and commercial).

• Encourage and support artisanal associations of miners, foresters, and fishermen to petition governments to ensure long term sustainability of resource exploitation activities without competition from commercial/industrial entities.

• Promote the production and commercialization of sustainable construction materials (e.g., Eco-Bricks, Soil- Stabilized Blocks.

Medium-Long Term Actionable Recommendations

• Directly fund government agencies and watchdog CSOs to monitor and enforce regulations pertaining to extraction of natural resources.

• Form GDAs with oil and gas companies to (1) improve the economic livelihoods of communities where they work, and (2) reuse excess resources and wastes to the benefit of local communities (e.g. replace flaring with beneficial use of excess gas).

• Fund and train key leaders with influence (as described above) to collaborate with artisanal miners to improve mining practices for environmental and health benefits.

• Expand across the region the development of third party approved conflict-free certification for commercial mining and other extraction operations.

• Expand across the region the development/organization of artisanal miners, fishermen, and foresters into associations and cooperatives to standardize and utilize best practices, create communal accountability (e.g., validation/ certification of artisanal products), and for effective communication and training.

• N/A

RECOMMENDATIONS: USAID/DRC MISSION BY OFFICE

This Assessment includes a separate analysis of drivers, threats, and actions necessary to protect tropical forest and biodiversity in the DRC. This Assessment identifies strategic recommendations, as summarized in Table ES.4 for five USAID/DRC mission offices based on the result of a gap analysis comparing the actions necessary with current programming (Section 8). In general, the overarching strategic recommendation for the USAID/DRC mission is to integrate biodiversity and conservation values and initiatives across all technical offices.

Because of the symmetry of the analyses for USAID/CARPE and USAID/DRC, the recommendations presented in Table ES.4 are linked to the seven high-level strategic recommendations identified in Table ES.3. Similar to the organization of Table ES.3, recommendations are organized according to whether they are actionable in the short-to-medium term or medium-to-long term. These recommendations can be incorporated into the CDCS.

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xix

TABLE ES. 4. STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USAID/DRC MISSION PROGRAMMING

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USAID/DRC ECONOMIC GROWTH OFFICE

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation # 2

Medium-to-Long Term Actionable Recommendations

• Provide technical assistance to national, provincial, and local governments to incentivize the development of diversified economies.

• Provide technical assistance to responsible ministries to maintain, improve, and expand transportation networks to improve commerce.

• Create DCA agreements and GDAs for businesses and individuals (especially vulnerable populations) to decrease initial capital costs for developing sustainable livelihoods (i.e., cash crop agriculture;

agroforestry; value addition to non-timber forest products) and managing sustainable exploitation of natural resources.

• Engage traditional authorities, traditional societies, or other social leaders to create CSOs that support and increase long term sustainable economic activities (for which the leaders are responsible). Provide support to the CSOs to develop the capacity to receive and manage small grants from NGOs, USAID, and other donors.

• Create cooperative agreements with CSOs and NGOs for programs near urban and peri-urban areas to develop animal husbandry (e.g., goats, sheep, pigs, guinea pigs, chickens) and aquaculture. The programs should include veterinary vocational training (e.g., insemination practices and healthcare), small-scale loans for purchase of domesticated animals and equipment, and should include activities for improving access to markets (e.g., transportation, roads, networking opportunities, and branding/marketing).

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation #4

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Collaborate with NGOs and industry associations to promote the development of sustainable firewood and charcoal production areas (i.e., agroforestry, and woodlots in peri-urban areas).

Medium-Long Term Actionable Recommendations

• Develop DCA agreements and GDAs with small hydropower, natural gas, and renewable energy companies (e.g., solar, biogas) to lower capital costs for communities to procure affordable cooking fuel and energy.

• Encourage competition and private enterprise in the energy sector by (1) assisting governments in developing the appropriate regulatory framework, and by (2) reducing and eliminating government monopolies in the sector (including the LPG production and distribution system).

• Develop DCAs or GDAs with LPG companies to manage the production, distribution and sale of affordable LPG to potential consumers across the region (e.g. via consumer payment plans, and loans).

• Support strategic initiatives, including the development of cooperatives, to expand reliable and affordable electrification via on-grid and off-grid projects throughout the region.

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation #7

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Encourage governments to delineate and provide publicly available data on the areas of permitted concessions for mineral extraction (artisanal and commercial).

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xx

• Encourage and support artisanal associations of miners, foresters, and fishermen to petition governments to ensure long term sustainability of resource exploitation activities without competition from commercial/industrial entities.

• Promote the production and commercialization of sustainable construction materials (e.g., Eco-Bricks, Soil-Stabilized Blocks).

Medium-to-Long Term Actionable Recommendations

• Form GDAs with oil and gas companies to 1) improve the economic livelihoods of communities where they work, and 2) reuse excess resources and wastes to the benefit of local communities (e.g. replace flaring with beneficial use).

• Fund and train key leaders with influence (as described above) to collaborate with artisanal miners to improve mining practices for environmental and health benefits.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USAID/DRC PEACE AND SECURITY OFFICE

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation # 1

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Coordinate efforts across international organizations and donors on engagement practices in democracy and governance (e.g., verifying free and fair local and municipal elections, dissolving armed groups) and conservation activities.

• Facilitate open and transparent dialogues, document and data sharing, and informational workshops between government ministries and departments to encourage internal collaboration.

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation #3

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Encourage CSOs and NGOs to hire former members of armed groups (or those capable of gaining trust of armed youth) to create informal dialogue with armed youth about conservation initiatives and potential employment opportunities.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USAID/DRC DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND GOVERNANCE

OFFICE

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation # 1

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Coordinate efforts across international organizations and donors on engagement practices in democracy and governance (e.g., verifying free and fair local and municipal elections, dissolving armed groups) and conservation activities.

• Facilitate open and transparent dialogues, document sharing, and informational workshops between government ministries and departments to encourage internal collaboration.

• Encourage centralized government institutions to further delegate and decentralize technical and financial decision-making powers to provincial/local departments.

• Encourage government to further finance and empower wildlife and forest crime investigators and enforcement officers.

Medium-to-Long Term Recommendations

• Fund local CSOs directly over the long term, rather than via international NGOs, to build local technical, financial, administrative, and management capacity.

TROPICAL FORESTRY AND BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT FOR CARPE AND THE DRC xxi

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation #5

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Encourage governments to designate new protected areas outside of the current CARPE landscapes to act as biodiversity anchors. Those forests and ecosystems that will remain stable/unaffected by the effects of climate change should be given the highest priority.

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation #7

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Encourage governments to delineate and provide publicly available data on the areas of permitted concessions for mineral extraction (artisanal and commercial).

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USAID/DRC HEALTH OFFICE

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation # 3

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Conduct numerous low-cost educational activities (e.g., taste testing comparisons, cooking contests using clean cookstoves, biggest chicken or goat competition, employing conservation/environmental educators) at public gathering points (e.g., hospitals, clinics, courts, police stations, markets, churches) to change behavior towards the use of natural resource products.

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation #5

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Emphasize family planning efforts, provide nutritional information about non-bushmeat protein alternatives, and promote the health benefits of clean cookstoves, in protected area buffer zones.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USAID/DRC EDUCATION OFFICE

Link to High-Level Strategic Recommendation #3

Short-to-Medium Term Actionable Recommendations

• Conduct numerous low-cost educational activities (e.g., taste testing comparisons, cooking contests using clean cookstoves, biggest chicken or goat competition, employing conservation/environmental educators) at public gathering points (e.g., hospitals, clinics, courts,…