Local citizen group dynamics in the implementation of community forest concessions in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Local organizations are key to the implementation of new regulations regarding governance of community forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, it remains uncertain how the dynamics and power relations within these local organizations affect the governance of community forests. We tackled this uncertainty by investigating how local groups favour citizen participation in the establishment and management of two local community forest concessions (LCFCs). Data from household surveys (N = 101), focus group discussions (N = 11) and semi-structured interviews (N = 49) were used to document citizen dynamics and to compare the types of groups, their compositions, and the activities that were conducted by their members. Our results show diverse local citizen groups, each composed of individuals with common interests, are involved in LCFC governance. These groups provide platforms for local people to share their knowledge and experiences, interests and concerns. Citizen groups further provide learning opportunities for local people and provide a foundation for effective LCFC governance. Traditionally marginalized groups such as youth, women and Indigenous people are still not represented fairly in LCFC decision-making bodies. Indeed, main income-generating activities such as logging are controlled by men and outsiders from urban areas. Regulatory reforms are needed to ensure equitable benefit sharing and participation of all stakeholders in decision-making, while reducing conflicts and increasing the sense of ownership.