MANIEMA: SEVEN COMMUNITIES ADVANCING TOWARD COMMUNITY FOREST CONCESSIONS

???? MANIEMA: SEVEN COMMUNITIES ADVANCING TOWARD COMMUNITY FOREST CONCESSIONS ????

The province of Maniema is accelerating the recognition process of Community Forest Concessions (CFCLs) in order to strengthen forest protection and enhance the involvement of local communities in the fight against climate change.

With the support of the Congo Basin Conservation Society (CBCS), seven communities from the territories of Kabambare and Kasongo have reached another important milestone in their efforts to secure community forest concessions.

The forests concerned include:

✅ Lusambi Lwa Kitika

✅ Abadja

✅ Benyeyoza

✅ Makubulu

✅ Lufindi

✅ Kalumba

✅ Ngundu Kyalula

Together, these forest areas cover an estimated 21,828 hectares.

According to stakeholders involved in the process, a joint mission composed of forestry administration officials and local environmental civil society representatives visited the concerned villages to carry out the official public display of concession applications.

This stage follows the official authorization signed on March 19, 2026, by the Governor of Maniema, Moussa Kabwankubi, requesting competent services to review the applications before the final concession decrees are issued.

The villages concerned include Mulenda, Lupanga, Kaliumba, Mueja, Risasi, Musalayi, and Ngundu-Kyalula.

Through this initiative, provincial authorities aim to position Maniema as a key player in forest conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite the province’s rich biodiversity remaining insufficiently documented in national and international environmental inventories.

Local environmental organizations believe that the official allocation of these concessions could help reduce pressure on forests, particularly illegal and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.

The community forest concession model is based on a central principle: enabling local communities and Indigenous Peoples to legally manage their forests while benefiting economically from conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Communities involved are now awaiting the official signing of provincial decrees that will legally recognize their rights over these forest areas.

#CBCS