81277633-Restauration des paysages forestiers dans la province "Sud Kivu" en République Démocratique du Congo

Covering an area of more than 145 million hectares, around 10 per cent of the planet's tropical rainforest is to be found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The forests form part of the Congo Basin rainforest, the second largest contiguous expanse of rainforest in the world and host multiple endangered species. The forests play a key role in stabilising the global climate and provide a livelihood for a significant proportion of the country's 80 million inhabitants. However, the forest resources are under threat from progressive destruction and degradation due to high population growth, poverty, and a lack of alternative sources of income. Half of the population lives below the poverty line and deforestation is being driven the local demand for fuelwood. For the most part, forest resources continue to be used in an unsustainable manner. The German Cooperation, through GIZ, is implementing the project "Biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management", in close collaboration with its Congolese partners, notably the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN). The program has three offices in DR Congo (Kinshasa, Bukavu and Kindu) and is closely working with the two National parks Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) and Lomami National Park (LNP). It is co-financed by the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), through the management of FONAREDD (National REDD+ Fund in DRC), for activities in Maniema province. The overall objective of the program is as follows: "Biodiversity protection, sustainable management of the tropical forest and the economic situation of the poor local population in some areas improved". To achieve this, the program aims to expand and consolidate human rights and ecosystem service approaches to sustainable forest resource management and biodiversity conservation through relevant ministries and other state structures, civil society, service providers and private structures. The Program's efforts are focused on the following five main thematic areas: (1) "Improving conditions for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity and forest resources", which focuses on policies, strategies and approaches in accordance with international standards for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity and forest resources in close cooperation with political actors, the private sector, civil society and academic institutions (2) "Improving the planning, implementation and mediation skills of the actors involved in local governance processes" with the participation and co-responsibility of the local population as a key element, particularly in Local Development Planning and on dialogue platforms (3) "Improving the sustainable use of forest, grazing and agricultural resources in the peripheral areas of national parks", which aims to provide local communities with the necessary technical and business know-how and to develop coordination, cooperation and negotiation skills among the local population (4) "Improving the energy development of wood resources around urban centers" which aims at a more efficient use of wood energy in the perspective of an energy exploitation centered on sustainability, while also relying on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to implement alternative energy solutions; and finally (5) "Improving the practice of sustainable agriculture" which focuses on the development of sustainable agricultural approaches through capacity building and awareness raising of the local population while advocating for sustainable and efficient land use