Adapting Congo basin forest management to climate change

Linkages among biodiversity, climate change and forest loss

Youssoufa Bele , Denis Sonwa , Johnson Nkem and Zouliatou Nkakene

1 1 1 2

1
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
2
Department of Plant Biology, University of Yaoundé, Cameroon
For further information, contact b.youssoufa@cgiar.org or go to CIFOR website at www.cifor.cgiar.org

Introduction
With 241 million hectares of forests, representing 46% of Africa forests and 37%
of the world remaining tropical forests, Central Africa contains the second largest
contiguous area of tropical moist forests on the planet (ADBG 2008). These forests play
a strategically important role in regional, continental and global climate responses
and regional development (Hoare 2007, Nkem et al. 2008). However, the role of
forest and associated biodiversity in sheltering populations from the many projected
impacts of climate change is not currently considered in decisions and long-term
forest management plans in this region. As such, maintaining forest and associated
ecosystem functions is an important component of adaptation to climate change.
Congo basin forests distribution Congo basin forests
Methods
This work was based on the analysis of policy documents, press releases and websites
related to sustainable forest management, climate change and biodiversity in the
Congo basin.

Results
The analysis shows that in the Congo basin:
• Pressures such as forest fragmentation, reduction in habitat, loss of biodiversity
and the resulting adverse effects on forest-based communities are already proving
difficult to manage. Climate change constitutes an additional burden that will limit
development in countries in this region; they may fail to meet global targets for
eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and ensuring environmental sustainability.
• Many countries have more pressing and more immediate needs than climate
change such as poverty reduction and job creation. Their national policies are not
focussing on preparing for the long term.
• Biodiversity contributes to many of the essential goods and services upon which
people of the Congo basin heavily rely, including provision of food and water, the
control of climate and pollination.
• Forests generate 75–95% of regional rainfall through evaporation and
evapotranspiration (WWF 2007), compared to 50% in the Amazon basin and < 20%
in Asian forests (Nkem et al. 2008). Evaporation from the Congo basin contributes Congo basin countries
about 17% of West Africa’s rainfall (Eltahir et al. 2004).
• As a consequence, deforestation could cause a decline in rainfall as far away as
North America and Europe (Feddema et al. 2005), and decline in water quality
and quantity in the Congo River which possesses one-sixth of the world’s known
potential for hydroelectric power (Maniatis 2007).
• Carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation for the Central African
region range from 20 to 60 million tonnes per year (WWF 2007) with selecting
logging alone accounting for about 25–50% loss of stored carbon (The Rainforest
Foundation 2007).

Identified need to undertake adaptation strategies

• Assess risk and vulnerability
Eru leaves (Gnetum spp.) Non-Timber Forest Products
• Enhance the role of sustainable forest management in climate change adaptation
• Enhance forest and biodiversity management to increase resilience and reduce risk
and vulnerability
References
• Mainstream climate change into forest management African Development Bank Group (ADBG) 2008. Information note. International conference on financing mechanisms for a sustainable
• Strengthen a sustainable financing mechanism management of the Congo basin forest ecosystems. Tunis, 21–22 February 2008.
CBFP 2006. The state of the Congo basin: State of the forest 2006. http://www.cbfp.org
• Support capacity development Eltahir, E.A.B., Loux, B., Yamana, T.K., and Bomblies, A. 2004. A see-saw oscillation between the Amazon and Congo basins. Geophysical
Research Letters 31.
• Create local employment Feddema, J.J., Oleson, K.W., Bonan, G.B., Mearns, L.O., Buja, L.E., Meehl, G.A., and Washington, W.M. 2005. The importance of land-cover
change in simulating future climates. Science 310: 1674-1678.
Hoare, A.L. 2007. Clouds on the horizon: The Congo Basin’s forests and climate change . The Rainforest Foundation.
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The Rainforest Foundation 2007. The Congo Basin’s forests and climate change. http://primeconcern.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/the-
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http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/congo_basin_forests/problems/climate_change/