Regional conference on deforestation trends in the Congo Basin, Kinshasa

From 15 to 16 May 2013, IIASA and COMIFAC participated in a regional conference in Kinshasa, DRC, to discuss results of the study “Deforestation trends in the Congo Basin: Reconciling economic growth and forest protection”. Originally a two-year exercise led by the World Bank and supported by multiple donors, it has been continuing in the framework of the REDD-PAC project.

This conference aimed to deepen policymakers’ understanding of the multiple drivers of deforestation in the Congo Basin, and to emphasize the role of sectors such as agriculture, energy, transport, and mining in shaping the future of the basin. The policy recommendations derived from the study will potentially help Congo Basin countries overcome some of the more severe trade-offs between growth and forest protection."

Aline Mosnier gave a presentation on the economic land-use model used to inform the study (CongoBIOM model). The ongoing efforts in the framework of the REDD-PAC project to improve the model and bring more country-specific policy recommendations were in particular highlighted.

Aline Mosnier(IIASA) - Le modele CongoBIOM