COBAM project (Climate Change and Forests in the Congo Basin

The project aimed to develop adaptation strategies at local, national and regional scales that reduce the vulnerability of forest ecosystem goods and services, forest communities, and forest-dependent sectors to climate change in the Congo Basin.

Building on a cross-scale science-policy dialogue process, the project developed adaptation strategies that emphasized forest ecosystems and forest-dependent livelihoods and sectors. The project also contributed to mainstreaming these adaptation strategies into national development and the regional framework for forest policies in the Congo Basin, COMIFAC.

Gender differentiated vulnerability and those of minority groups, including the ~30 million indigenous people in the Congo Basin Forests, was highlighted in identifying their special needs for climate change adaptation, in assessing existed local and efficient adaptive responses. In the process, the project explored ways of participatory engagement of these local communities in national adaptation planning processes and policy formulation. There were capacity development of the local communities and other stakeholders through training and direct participation in the implementation of all phases of the project through ‘learning by doing’ process.

The project contributed to the Millennium Development Goals, especially MDG 1 on eradication of poverty and hunger and 7 on ensuring environmental sustainability. By designing adaptation measures to reduce the vulnerability of forests, the provision of ecosystem goods and services, the project ensured and contributed to environmental sustainability and the reduction of poverty and hunger. By designing local adaptation strategies for reducing social vulnerability, the likelihood of poverty and hunger reduced.

Another important output of the project was the creation of links between local and national or international scales. The influence of national policies on the vulnerability of local people analyzed and policies that reduce the vulnerability of local communities proposed. The project provide evidence of the importance of implementing adaptation policies for the benefits of stakeholders at local and national scales. In addition, results from local studies brought to international arena as they may be relevant for international adaptation policies and funding.