Structure and dynamics of Central African forests: DynAfFor

Since 2000, the development of forests in Central Africa has been moving steadily forward. It is estimated that over the next ten years, just over a third of dense forests allocated under industrial concessions will be developed. 

Central Africa accounts for 10% of global diversity. There are major environmental challenges, which are largely related to the sustainable management of the dense forest in the Congo Basin. It is being strengthened with the commitment of large companies in the countries in certification processes. The process which is gathering pace contributes to preserving forest areas and their ecosystem functions.

Strengthening the implementation of responsible management is one of the best ways to strengthen the resilience of Congo Basin forests in the face of climate change. The adaptation capacity of forests in turn has a positive impact on improving carbon storage.

 

The project is based on 3 main focus areas:

 

• A scientific focus aims to improve the sustainability of forest developments by improving knowledge about the environmental factors which influence forest dynamics and the impact that forest exploitation has on these dynamics and on carbon sequestration.
• An operational focus translates the results of scientific research into an improvement in current forest development practices. The objective is to strengthen the development calculations and develop specific tools for private operators to monitor forest dynamics. The results of the scientific actions of DynAfFor will be used to give forest administrations the means to improve national standards.
• A focus on mobilizing actors, which is a priority for DynAfFor, involves at the earliest possible stage the Ministries of Forests, private operators, national research services and certain NGOs or international institutions working on these subjects.

By targeting the sustainability of forest development, the project guarantees financial resources for States and local development by redistributing these resources in the context of ongoing decentralizing processes. 

• Guarantee a major source of employment in countries where the labor force remains very low-skilled. 
• Avoid the conversion of forests towards other more lucrative speculative operations in the event of a depletion of commercial tree species in forests. 
• DynAfFor contributes to local, economic and social development in the country. 
• Sustainability of forest development and management, which ensures the conservation of the environment of the Congo Basin (which has one of the greatest concentrations of biodiversity in the world) and the global environment.