The forests of the Congo Basin : state of the forest 2008

The report is divided into three major sections: national and regional summaries; thematic chapters; and landscape chapters. The six national chapters are structured in a similar fashion. Each chapter starts with a brief presentation of the macro-economic and political context of the country in question. The authors then analyze forest cover and its progression since 1990. The chapters also describe the legal and institutional framework for managing biodiversity resources and recount the results of data collected on the status of and value added through biodiversity, logging and the timber industry. A regional chapter summarizes the six country chapters and provides the reader with a synoptic perspective of the information. The second part of the report is devoted to six thematic chapters presenting more detailed information on a series of issues pertaining to environmental goods and services. The first chapter addresses a new tool for sustainable forest management in Central Africa: payment for environmental services (PES). The second chapter gives an overview of water resources and their role in the sub-region. Biodiversity as a source and means of maintaining environmental services is covered in the third chapter. The fourth chapter provides a historical overview of the position of Central African countries in Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) negotiations, while the fifth chapter gives a first estimate of carbon stocks and variations in the region. Finally, the sixth and final chapter raises the issue of peri-urban forests and fuelwood in Central Africa. The third section of the report is comprised of 12 chapters detailing progress in the CBFP landscapes. Each chapter begins with a description of land use planning activities, followed by a description of human activities. The chapters also include a brief analysis of forest cover and its evolution as well as reports on large mammal and human sign monitoring. Finally, the chapters conclude with a brief presentation of a topic of special interest in the landscape. (Author abstract, modified)