Poor governance fuels ‘horrible dynamic’ of deforestation in DRC

One plan that was drawn up is the DRC’s National Strategy for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+), adopted in 2012. It aims to increase and stabilize forest cover to 63.5% by 2030, from the current 58%. However, a recent report published by CIFOR assessing the progress of REDD+ concluded that none of the reforms promised by the Congolese government to improve the institutional environment for the implementation of REDD+ had materialized. It cited “political changes and a lack of finance, capacity and political will.”