3.3c Congo Basin Case Study

Question 1

Where is the “Congo Basin” located?

Answer 1

Spans multiple central African countries,
but around half of the Congo Basin is found in the DRC

Question 2

What are the climatic conditions like in the “Congo Basin”?

Answer 2

The Congo Rainforest is naturally warm and humid.

• Mean annual temperature is 24.35 degrees celsius
• Mean annual precipitation is 1500.77mm

Question 3

State some biodiversity facts on the “Congo Basin”?

Answer 3

VERY high biodiversity

Supports:
- Thousands of bird species
- 700 species of fish
- 400 species of mammal
- 10,000 species of tropical plants
→ 80% are native to the region

Question 4

What are the native people like that live in the “Congo Basin”?

Answer 4

• 75m people from +150 different ethnic groups live throughout the basin and depend on the forest for food, fresh water and shelter.
• Native people are very ethnically diverse.
• They are primarily hunter-foragers who live inside of the rainforest.

Question 5

Why is the “Congo Basin” important?

Answer 5

!! Vital regional and global ecological services !!
→ carbon sinks
→ basin catchments
→ large-scale atmospheric circulation
→ providing water services
→ regulating climate
→ protects a variety of different species (high biodiversity!)

Question 6

What are some local reasons for any threats to the “Congo Basin”?

Answer 6

• Local population relies on the forest for resources
  → food, shelter, fire wood…
• Making place for more housing/ habitat (to accommodate their rapidly increasing population)
• Agricultural production/ crop fields
• Displacement due to war/ violence - Hundreds of thousands of refugees have moved through the forests of the Congo → stripping vegetation and devastating wildlife populations.

Question 7

What are some international reasons for any threats to the “Congo Basin”?

Answer 7

• Wealth of natural resources (diamonds, gold, cobalt, copper..)
  → LARGE corporations taking advantage of this
  → Tesla Cobalt mines…
  → Mining of Uranium for nuclear power plants

! This puts extreme strain on the Congo Basin and its inhabitants !

Question 8

What is an example of a local NGO active in the “Congo Basin”?

Answer 8

Green Development Advocates:

• Supports sustainable development activities in forests in Southwest Cameroon
• The Cameroonian government has made huge investments in the exploitation of its land, forests and other natural resources.
  → GDA pushes for the inclusion of indigenous people’s rights in aspects of the development process.
  → Promotes alternative methods of forest management
• Supports the use of community forestry to secure land for communities, alleviate poverty and protect forests from larger-scale destructive developments.

Question 9

What is an example of an international NGO (INGO) active in the “Congo Basin”?

Answer 9

United Nations REDD Programme:

• Is a part of the future climate framework under the UN convention on climate change
• Gives financial incentives to countries who protect and regulate their forests

HOWEVER,
Congo Basin countries have to overcome significant institutional and technical challenges before being able to take advantage of the UN REDD+ programme

Therefore, the World Bank has approved a 13m grant to strengthen these countries’ capacities to meet those necessary requirements and be able to benefit from the REDD+ incentive mechanism.

Today, the DRC partakes in the REDD+ programme. Aiming to “reduce emissions by addressing the key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, including shifting agriculture, logging and charcoal/fuelwood production”

Question 10

What is the main difference between the “UN REDD+ programme” and the “Green Development Advocates”?

Answer 10

The UN REDD programme offers financial support to countries who agree to significantly reduce global emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

The Green Development Advocates on the other hand were established by an environmental lawyer. They use legal expertise to carry out evaluations of current laws and practices and use that to push for the inclusion of local communities in development processes.