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Comparing Community Needs and REDD+ Activities for Capacity Building and Forest Protection in the Équateur Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo

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  • Edward A. Morgan

    (Griffith Climate Change Response Program, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
    Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4222, Australia)

  • Glenn Bush

    (Woodwell Climate Research Center, Woods Hole, Falmouth, MA 02540-1644, USA)

  • Joseph Zambo Mandea

    (Woodwell Climate Research Center, Mbandaka, Democratic Republic of the Congo)

  • Melaine Kermarc

    (Woodwell Climate Research Center, Woods Hole, Falmouth, MA 02540-1644, USA)

  • Brendan Mackey

    (Griffith Climate Change Response Program, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
    Climate Action Beacon, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia)

Abstract

Primary forests are essential ecosystems that can play a key role in mitigating climate change. REDD+ is designed to help countries and communities secure benefits for avoiding deforestation but has faced significant implementation challenges. There are substantial potential benefits for REDD+ in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where shifting agriculture is the major cause of deforestation. However, implementation requires significant capacity building in a number of sectors and at a number of levels. This paper explores how well the capacity building activities within the DRC REDD+ strategy are aligned with the capacity needs identified by provincial government stakeholders and local communities in the Équateur province of the DRC, identified through workshops and surveys. The research suggests that while many technical capacity needs identified by stakeholders could be potentially addressed by the REDD+ strategy, there are number of systemic capacity needs that are unlikely to be addressed. Failure to address these needs risks undermining any implementation of REDD+. The results suggest that education and training in governance and management, as well as fundamental education in sustainability, are key capacity needs that REDD+ may need to incorporate. The results also provide further evidence that REDD+ projects need to be long-term and take into account the local context and needs in order to be effective.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward A. Morgan & Glenn Bush & Joseph Zambo Mandea & Melaine Kermarc & Brendan Mackey, 2022. "Comparing Community Needs and REDD+ Activities for Capacity Building and Forest Protection in the Équateur Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:6:p:918-:d:839530
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Polina Lemenkova & Olivier Debeir, 2022. "R Libraries for Remote Sensing Data Classification by k-means Clustering and NDVI Computation in Congo River Basin, DRC," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/352357, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Yanlong Guo & Xingmeng Ma & Yelin Zhu & Denghang Chen & Han Zhang, 2023. "Research on Driving Factors of Forest Ecological Security: Evidence from 12 Provincial Administrative Regions in Western China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-21, March.

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