International scientific conference: “African forest-related policies and politics” 24 – 27 September 2018 in Yaoundé, Cameroon Call for Abstracts – Save the Date

The University of Göttingen in Germany and the University of Dschang in Cameroon announce the firstIUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organisations) social sciences conference on “African forest-related policy and politics”. This international and inter-disciplinary scientific conference aims to advance cutting edge knowledge on the emergence and evolution of African forest-related policy and politics. The conference will take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon from 24 to 27 September 2018, with the support of the Commission of Central African Forests (COMIFAC).

The African forest is paradoxical in relation to the tropical forest regions. When the rate of forest degradation due to wood-fuel demand and slash-and-burn small farming rises, the level of deforestation falls below that of South Asia and Latin America. In other words, the utilisation of African forestland resources occurs faster in regions covered by dry and accessible forests while the majority of the rainforests in the Congo basin remains broadly intact. Up to now, African forests from the North Africa Mediterranean region to the southern, eastern, western and central African regions face growing pressure due to forestland conversion, biodiversity loss, livelihood issues, demographic growth, wildfires, above- and underground resources exploitation.

CBFP News

20-10-2018 10:34

Brussels Declaration - New version including amendments

The Belgian CBFP Facilitation has received a number of amendments to the first draft of the Brussels Declaration which it has incorporated into the text. Please find attached the new version of the draft "Brussels Declaration".

19-10-2018 08:44

AFORPOLIS conference 2018 report

From 24 to 27 September 2018, about 150 participants from 27 countries, including the following African countries (Benin, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Madagascar, Nigeria, Tunisia), Japan, Indonesia, USA, China, Canada and European countries (Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom) met in Yaoundé, Cameroon the host country to attend the first IUFRO social sciences conference on “African forest policies and politics” (AFORPOLIS conference 2018). This conference was coordinated by the new IUFRO Working Party on “African forest politics and governance” (IUFRO-WP 9.05.09) and the AFORPOLIS initiative.

19-10-2018 08:15

Willagri-Forêts: FSC certification legally instituted in Gabon

The President of Gabon, Ali Bongo, announced on September 26, during a visit to a Rougier-owned sawmill, that all logging concessions in Gabon would be required to get FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. There are close to forty active concessions in Gabon, covering nearly 16 million hectares. FSC is considered the world’s most stringent forest management label.

19-10-2018 08:10

Volume 11 of the Scientific and Technical Review Forest and Environment of the Congo Basin [RIFFEAC]

RIFFEAC (The Central African Network of Forestry and Environmental Training Institutions) is COMIFAC’s technical partner in forestry and environmental training. It was established in Libreville on 5 October 2001 with the following 8 founding member institutions: the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences (FASA) of the University of Dschang, the Mbalmayo National School of Water and Forests (ENEF), the Garoua Training School for Wildlife Specialists (EFG), the Cap Estérias National School of Water and Forests (ENEF), the Marien Ngouabi Institute of Rural Development....

19-10-2018 08:04

Libération: Climate change: "Other battles are senseless if this one is lost"

Aurélien Barrau, an astrophysicist, ignited social networks with a well-thought and captivating piece on global warming and mankind’s role in its own destruction.

19-10-2018 08:01

environews-rdc -Natural resources: Food, the true fuel of an extractive industry

From May 2013 to May 2017, the Congo’s one-stop shop for opening a new business approved the launch of 6,181 companies. The Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to attract to investors vying for entrance into this country whose soil is one the world’s richest, making Congo a geological scandal.

19-10-2018 07:58

environews -rdc -Conservation : Joseph Kabila incinerated more than a ton of elephant ivory in Kinshasa

The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kabila Kabange, has symbolically incinerated more than one ton of elephant ivory and over a ton of pangolin scales. The incineration ceremony was held on Sunday, September 30, at the N'sele wildlife park, located close to the city of Kinshasa province.

19-10-2018 07:51

ECCAS-ADB: signing of memorandum of understanding on the preparation of the PACEBco2 Program

Libreville (Gabonese Republic), 25 September 2018- The Deputy Secretary-General of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Honorable Tabu Abdallah Manirakiza and the Head of Mission of the African Development Bank ( AfDB) Mr. DIOP Amadou Bamba, Environmentalist at the AfDB, this morning signed the memorandum of understanding on preparations for the Support Program for the Conservation of Ecosystems and Resilience to Climate Change in Central Africa ( PACEBCo2).