This was the title of the first side event of the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) held on Monday, September 7, 2015, 12:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.  There were close to fifty participants...

During the Side Event moderated by Belmond Tchoumba (WWF), the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) reported on various efforts undertaken by its member States to fight climate change.  Kindly download the presentations from the links below:

S1-1- Strengths, opportunities and constraints of sustainable management of Congo Basin forests for climate change mitigation - Herve Martial MAÏDOU,   Regional Coordinator of REDD+ Project

S1-2- Promoting sustainable forest management and REDD+ in the DRC - Project for strengthening national forest resources monitoring systems to enhance sustainable forest management and REDD+ - DIAF-JICA Project-  Andre Kondjo Shoko, Department of Forest Planning and Inventory (DIAF, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development)

S1-3 - Major challenges of sustainable forest management and climate change - Forests and climate change - Contributions in Africa -  Nziengui Marcellin, ITTO, Regional Representative ITTO Africa 

S1-4- Current and potential contributions of forests of Central Africa to the global challenge of climate change - (Potential contributions of the forests of Central Africa to combat climate change - mitigation, adaptation and synergies-   Eba'a Atyi, R. , Eugene Loh Chia, Alba Saray Perez-Ter án,

A few suggested publications :

Sonwa, D.J., Scholte, P., Pokam, W., Schauerte, P., Tsalefac, M., Bouka Biona, C., Peach, B., Haensler, A., Ludwig, F., Mbankam, F.K., Mosnier, A., Moufouma- Okia, W., Ngana, F., Tiani, A-M. 2014. Changement climatique et adaptation en Afrique centrale : passé, scenarios et options pour le futur. In, de Wasseige, C., Flynn, J., Louppe, D., Hiol Hiol, F., Mayaux, Ph. (eds), Les forêts du bassin du Congo –Etat des forêts 2013, p.99-119, disponible, www.observatoire-comifac.net/

Maniatis, D., Tadoum, M., Crète, Ph., Aquino, A., Gari, J., Goodman, L., Bodin, B., Karsenty, A., Sembres, Th., Fetiveau, J. 2014. REDD+: Etat d’avancement et défis à relever. In, de Wasseige, C., Flynn, J., Louppe, D., Hiol Hiol, F., Mayaux, Ph. (eds), Les forêts du bassin du Congo –Etat des forêts 2013,p. 121- 162, available, www.observatoire-comifac.net/

Lescuyer, G. , Ngouhouo Poufon, J. , Collin, A. , Yembe Yembe, R. I. 2014. Le REDD+ à la rescousse des concessions forestières? Analyse financière des principaux modes de valorisation des terres dans le bassin du Congo. Working Paper 160. CIFOR : Bogor, available, www.cifor.cgiar.org is

Tadoum, M. , Kasulu Seya Makonga, V. , Boundzanga, G. C. , Bouyer, O. , Hamel, O. , Creighton, G. K. 2012. Négociations internationales sur le futur régime climat post 2012 : Avancées de Copenhague à Cancùn et retombées pour les forêts bu bassin du Congo. In, de Wasseige, C., de Marcken, P., Bayol, N., Hiol Hiol, F., Mayaux, Ph., Desclée, B., Nasi, R., Billand, A., Defourny, P., Eba’a Atyi, R. (eds.), Les forêts du bassin du Congo- Etat des forêts 2010, p.157- 170, disponible, www.observatoire-comifac.net/

  Informative note:

In fact, since 2006, Central Africa has been involved in international climate negotiations to ensure that the role of tropical forests is taken into account in the fight against climate change. To this end, a sub-regional working group was established and various consultations held both at the regional and international levels to promote the sub-region's common positions on a number of concerns such as political approaches, financial incentives, etc. In this respect, the COMIFAC countries have prepared and forwarded several submissions on REDD+ to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In 2011, the COMIFAC countries and their partners signed a joint statement of intent on REDD+ in the Congo Basin on the margins of COP-17 to the Durban Climate Change Convention in a bid to foster progress on REDD+ in the Congo Basin.

Beyond their mitigating aspects, forests also contribute to climate change adaptation through various goods and services rendered to local communities. To optimize the contribution of forests, it is necessary to build synergies between mitigation and adaptation.

This Side Event was a timely forum for exchanges and meetings between key actors, institutional partners involved, interested and eager to discuss the strengths, weaknesses and challenges facing the sub-region as it strives to combat climate change. It was also an opportunity to devise possible solutions to strengthen the dynamics of ongoing action aimed at reducing the impact of climate change on forest resources and COMIFAC populations.