This grant for the $26.6m Integrated REDD+ Project will be provided under the CIF’s Forest Investment Program.
The project in the Mbuji-Mayi/Kananga and Kisangani Basins will implement a series of pilot initiatives to lower GHG emissions in forests. It is anticipated to save approximately 4 million tons of CO2 emissions over 25 years.
In addition, the project will also receive a DRC Government contribution of $4.4m, and contributions of $.70m by project beneficiaries.
Commenting on the initiative, African Development Bank CIF coordinator and chief climate change specialist Mafalda Duarte said that the FIP grant is the first ever awarded by CIF to an African nation for forest action, and stands as a significant infusion of support for climate action and sustainability in some of the world’s most critical forests.
"At the AfDB, we see it as a signal of hope, ramping up the potential for coordinated action to protect DRC’s forests while at the same time increasing its citizens’ access to energy, sustainable livelihoods, and a move out of poverty. Importantly, the project is designed to ensure that all stakeholders are fully engaged in both design and implementation," added Duarte.
This project will provide for integrating private sector, local communities, and civil society in sustainable forest management, forest plantations, and improving sustainable agriculture, land tenure security, and the wood-energy sector’s sustainability.
