This event will feature a series of presentations that will highlight the Central Africa Forest Observatory (OFAC), the recently released State of the Forest 2013 report, and USAID's Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) activities in Central Africa.

WHEN: Monday, February 23, 2015   9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

WHERE: World Resources Institute, 10 G Street NE Suite 800, Washington, DC 20002

The State of the Forest Report is produced every two years by the Central Africa Forests Commission (COMIFAC) and the stakeholders of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) to provide reliable information and a detailed assessment on the status of the tropical forests of Central Africa. The forests of the Congo Basin are the second largest area of dense tropical rainforest in the world, comprising nearly 2 million km². The Congo Basin forests regulate global climate and harbor the most diverse assemblage of plants and animals in Africa. More than 80 million people rely on these forests for their livelihoods and many more rely on the ecosystem services provided by the forest.

The Central Africa Forest Observatory (OFAC) supports COMIFAC and promotes sustainable management of Central Africa’s forests through systematic compilation and sharing of data on logging, biodiversity, conservation, socioeconomics, governance and policy and other themes relevant to Congo Basin forests.

The Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) is a long term USAID initiative that applies a landscape management approach incorporating local livelihoods, sustainable forest use and biodiversity conservation to maintain the ecological integrity of the Congo Basin humid forest ecosystem.

Space is limited, and lunch will be provided, so please RSVP here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/come-learn-about-congo-basin-forests-tickets-15621268635

Presenter: Dr. Carlos de Wasseige                                                                                                                   

Regional Coordinator of the Central Africa Forest Observatory (OFAC)

Carlos de Wasseige holds a PhD in forestry. He worked for 13 years in the Environmetrics and Geomatics Laboratory of the University of Louvain. His main research projects were on remote sensing and GIS in Central Africa. Since 2008 he has been based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and has coordinated the activities of OFAC.

Please download for more Information the following Document: