COMMITMENT SCENARIOS IDENTIFIED WITHIN MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PLATFORMS, BASED ON A SCIENTIFIC DIAGNOSIS
- 78%
Loss of forest cover due to conversion of forests to cropland between 2000 and 2010
12
number of endangered mammals out of 200 recorded
MOST IMPORTANT GLOBAL THREATS :
The Republic of Congo's forest cover is divided between three main massifs located in the north, center and south of the country. The forest cover is discontinuous and heterogeneous, with primary, secondary and swamp forests accounting for around 69% of the national territory. The Congolese biodiversity also includes 53 forest concessions, representing almost 60% of the national forest cover.
Despite the existence of 15 protected areas (including 4 national parks, 7 reserves, 2 sanctuaries and 2 hunting domains) covering 11% of the territory, the state of the mammalian fauna is steadily declining. This is mainly due to poaching and the over-exploitation of forest and commercial species. In addition to these two main factors of biodiversity erosion, deforestation for charcoal production, shifting cultivation and bush fires are reducing and fragmenting living space, while degrading and modifying the environment.
In the Republic of Congo, the multi-stakeholder dialogue involved representatives from the public sector (local authorities), the private sector (umbrella organizations and producers' organizations), civil society organizations and the media. These players exchanged views at a closing workshop, where scenarios for commitment were discussed.
Bilateral exchanges were also organized.
Options chosen and scenarios discussed
Agriculture (food crops, market gardening and agro-industry)
Agriculture (food crops, market gardening and agro-industry) Shipowners :
- Shipowners and artisanal fishermen undertake to organize themselves into groups.
- Shipowners commit to supporting the fisheries administration in drawing up and implementing fisheries management plans by 2030.
Agricultural producers :
- Farmers commit to integrating and progressively applying the principles of ecological agriculture
- Small-scale producers commit to reducing the use of chemical pesticides in urban and peri-urban areas by 80%.
- The partners undertake to support the fisheries administration in its plans to immerse artificial reefs in the artisanal fishing zone.
Government(enabling conditions)
- Government commits to legal framework by 2025
- Government commits to climate-ecological agriculture
- Government commits to promoting the development of agroforestry in savannah zones
- Government commits to strengthening the regulatory framework for fisheries
- Government commits to strengthening oversight mechanisms
Mines
Mines Industrial mining
- Mining companies undertake to support the implementation of protected area management plans and fisheries management plans in the vicinity of industrial mining operations.
- Mining companies commit to progressive rehabilitation of 100% of degraded sites
Small-scale mining
- The Government undertakes to encourage the creation of a sub-federation of small-scale miners within UNICONGO (EC).
- Operators undertake to obtain environmental compliance certificates and implement Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs).
- Operators commit to progressively rehabilitating 100% of degraded sites
- Operators undertake to apply operating techniques that do not involve the use of prohibited chemicals, in accordance with legal provisions.
Artisanal miners
- Government commits to formalizing the artisanal mining sector through the Ministry in charge of mining industries (EC)
- Mining cooperatives commit to agreements that encourage biodiversity conservation
- Artisanal miners undertake to apply mining techniques without using prohibited chemicals.
The scenarios identified during the dialogue process are the same as the solutions envisaged for the agricultural and mining sectors.