The Congo Basin Forest Fund

A Global Response to a Global Issue

Presentation at the International Forum on the Sustainable Development of the Wood

Industry in the Congo Basin Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

22nd October 2013 Mette Vinqvist

CBFF BACKGROUND

Launched in London in June 2008 by the United Kingdom, Norway and COMIFAC, joined by Canada in 2012

Hosted by the African Development Bank (AFDB), Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department

Initial capitalization of EUR 117 million; $CAD 20 million pledged by Canada in 2012

EUR 84 million committed to 40 projects (NGOs, research institutions and governments)

Competitive calls for proposals within COMIFAC countries

PURPOSE OF CBFF

Mitigating climate change by reducing deforestation and forest degradation in the Congo Basin region

Alleviating poverty among forest-dependent communities in the Congo Basin region

forest quality and quantity conserving practices, which bring increased income and benefits to forest stakeholders in the Congo Basin region

- The Congo Basin is the second largest

tropical forested area on the planet

- It contains 26% of the World’s remaining rainforest

- It contains both unique and threatened biodiversity

- The Congo Basin covers 2.1 million km2

- An estimated 50 to 60 (75?) million people depend on its resources

- The dense rainforests of Central Africa alone store an estimated 30 million tons of CO2

WHY THE CONGO BASIN FORESTS ?

THREATS

• Shifting agriculture (slash-and-burn)

• Population growth and poverty

• Logging

• Oil and mining industry

• Forest degradation

• Trade in endangered species

• Harvest of a few commercially valuable species

• Destructive and unsustainable harvesting

Climate change

Deforestation & degradation

Poverty

STRATEGY

Increase value of standing forest

Adding value to forest products

Diversifying products and services, incl. carbon

Marketing products and services, incl. carbon

Reduce pressure on the forest resource

Increasing resource efficiency

Reducing pressure by substitution

Reforestation of degraded areas

CRITERIA

Impact on deforestation or degradation

Poverty alleviation/livelihoods

Innovative or ‘transformative’

Potential for sustainable financing

Potential for replication/up-scaling

Increasing knowledge of the resource

• 41 projects approved by the CBFF Governing Council

• Two competitive calls for proposals held (2008 and 2009)

• Total commitment to date € 84 million

• 37 projects have started (7 are ending)

• 27 NGO-led projects (representing 40% of committed funds)

• 13 Government-led projects (representing 60% of committed funds)

THE PRESENT CBFF PORTFOLIO AT A GLANCE

9% 3%

4%

43%

1%

7%

27% 6%

Cameroon

CAR

Congo

DRC

Eq. Guinea

Gabon

Multinational

Rwanda

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF CBFF PROJECTS (COMIFAC COUNTRIES*)

*Burundi, Chad and Sao Tome & Principe are covered by regional projects

37%

36%

14%

7% 6%

Sustainable ForestManagement(SFM)

Livelihoods Development

REDD+

Monitory,Reporting andVerificationPayment forecosystems

THEMATIC DISTRIBUTION OF CBFF PROJECTS

• Alternatives to Mangrove Destruction for Women’s Livelihood (Cam)

• Phasing out Slash and Burn Farming with Biochar (DRC)

• Multi-resource forest inventory for land use planning in Congo (Congo)

• Mise en valeur rebus forestiers and Reforestation of Degraded Systems (Congo)

• Valuation of African Medicinal Plants for mainstreaming Entrepreneurship (DRC)

• Gestion durable des boisements et restauration des forets (Rwanda)

• Support to sustainable forest resource management in Gabon (Gabon)

• Management and Restoration of the Biosphere Reserve-Basse Lobaye (CAR)

• Natural Resource Management Training Program in the Congo Basin (Multi)

• National MRV systems with a regional approach (COMIFAC countries)

• Agroforestry REDD+ Pilot Project in South Kwamouth (DRC)

• Beyond timber: Reconciling the needs of the logging industry with those of forest-dependent people (Multi)

SOME PROJECT EXAMPLES

OPPORTUNITIES Access to sustainable, legal raw materials

Management plans Land tenure/land use planning/inventories Training

Other areas Strengthening education Re- and afforestation (degraded areas) Value-adding activities

CBFF

Congo Basin Ecosystems

Conservation Support Program

(PACEBCO)

Forest Investment Programme

(FIP)

PACEBCo Capacity building of COMIFAC

institutions

Sustainable biodiversity management and adaptation to climate change

Promotion of populations welfare

5 years; €42.67 million

Forest Investment Program Deforestation "hot spots“ Measurable emissions reductions and

co-benefits DRC US$21.5 mill. Integrated REDD+

project A total investment value of 1 billion

US dollars in Forestry in 21 countries over the last 20 years

Complementarities with CBFF CBFF targets areas of COMIFAC convergence plan not addressed by PACEBCO

CBFF strengthened by FIP and PACEBCO‘s capacity building

Thank you!

www.cbf-fund.org