Resources
CONGO IN THE CROSSHAIRS: OIL AND GAS EXPANSION THREATS TO CLIMATE, FORESTS, AND COMMUNITIES
A new comprehensive mapping and analysis by RFUK and Earth Insight shows that oil and gas expansion in the Congo Basin is a rapidly accelerating existential threat to the global climate, and to the world’s second largest rainforest – including the tens of millions of...
Unlocking the potential of forest guardians
This map story produced by FODER and RFUK explores how the ForestLink community real-time forest monitoring system is transforming the detection and enforcement of illegal forest activities in Cameroon and beyond.
Saving the Cuvette Centrale Peatlands
This map story produced by RFUK and our local partners in DR Congo and the Republic of Congo highlights the growing risks from logging and the extractive industries to the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, one of the largest carbon sinks on earth, and explains why local communities hold the key to protecting it.
Roads to Ruin: The emerging impacts of infrastructure development in the Congo Basin forests
Research by RFUK reveals the growing extent, and impact, of transport and energy infrastructure development in the Congo Basin – which is on its way to becoming a major driver of deforestation in the world’s second largest rainforest.
300 million at risk from CBD drive
In May 2021, the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) is set to agree on a new target to place at least 30 percent of the earth’s surface into conservation status by 2030.
MAPPING THE FUTURE: TOWARDS MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION OF FOREST PEOPLES IN LAND USE PLANNING IN DRC AND CAMEROON
The Congo Basin rainforest constitutes one of the world’s great biodiversity reserves, plays a crucial role in regulating the global climate and directly sustains the lives of millions of people. It is widely accepted that current land regimes in the Central African countries are inadequate to address the myriad of overlapping and competing claims, uses and pressures on the forest and in recent years…
Safer Ground: How Participatory Mapping can Mitigate the Impacts of Agribusiness in the Congo Basin
This briefing explores the importance of participatory mapping as a tool to show the social impacts of agro-industrial expansion in Central Africa and to resolve and prevent conflicts in forest areas.
Securing Forests: Participatory Mapping and Community Forests in DRC
This briefing shows that the most effective way to develop community forestry starts with a genuinely participatory approach that reflects the community’s collective needs and priorities.
At Loggerheads: The Moratorium, Geographical Programming and Community Mapping in DRC
Drawing on community mapping data collected through MappingForRights and other sources, this briefing shows that any process to lift DRC’s national logging moratoirum which does not sufficiently take into account communities and other forest users would inevitably result in negative outcomes.
Protected Areas and Community Rights: Using Local Maps to Support Sustainable Conservation in the Congo Basin
Protected areas in the Congo Basin continue to be established and managed with poor consideration for local communities’ land and resource rights, fostering conflicts and human rights abuses. Many of these problems could be avoided if thorough participatory community...
REDD and Rights: The implications of Community Mapping for the Mai Ndombe Integrated REDD Programme
This briefing examines how extensive forest tenure and resource mapping by local communities in Mai Ndombe province has major implications for DRC’s flagship jurisdictional REDD+ programme, especially in terms of land and carbon rights, land management, and distribution of benefits from anticipated emissions reductions activities.
MappingForRights: Putting Rainforest Communities on the Map
This first in a series of short MappingForRights information briefs provides a general overview of the programme, how it is helping to transform perceptions of forests in the Congo Basin and looks ahead to what this means for various forest reforms in the region.
THE HUMAN COST OF CONSERVATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Conkouati-Douli and Nouabalé-Ndoki national parks and their impact on the rights and livelihoods of forest communities.
Mpama Sector: An Atlas of Traditional Community Life
This community ‘atlas’ provides information on the realities and traditional livelihoods of the communities of Mpama sector, in the territory of Lukolela, Equateur province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Inongo sector, DRC: An Atlas of Traditional Community Life
This community ‘atlas’ provides information on the realities and traditional livelihoods of the communities of Inongo sector, in the Inongo territory, Mai-Ndombe province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Forestlink: Real-time Monitoring
Real-time community-based monitoring is a tool that connects local people with national law enforcement in an effort to stop illegal logging and deforestation. Using our bespoke ForestLink system, forest communities can send alerts and evidence of a number of threats...
Nguti Council, South West Region of Cameroon
This leaflet presents information on the reality and traditional way of life of local communities in the Council of Nguti, Kupe-Muanenguba Division, in the South West Region of Cameroon.
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Banunu Bobangi Sector, DRC: An Atlas of Traditional Forest Life
This community ‘atlas’ provides information on the realities and traditional livelihoods of the communities of Banunu-Bobangi sector, in the territory of Lukolela, Equateur province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Protected Areas in the Congo Basin: Failing Both People and Biodiversity?
Protected areas in Africa’s great equatorial rainforests are falling well below expectations both in terms of conserving wildlife and respecting local peoples’ rights.
PROTECTED AREAS IN THE CONGO BASIN: FAILING BOTH PEOPLE AND BIODIVERSITY?
Protected areas in Africa’s great equatorial rainforests are falling well below expectations both in terms of conserving wildlife and respecting local peoples’ rights.
MappingForRights Mapping Methodology: A New Approach to Participatory Mapping
MappingForRights is a new approach to participatory (or ‘community’) mapping. It has been developed by the Rainforest Foundation UK, (RFUK), on the back of 15 years’ experience of supporting indigenous and traditional communities of the Congo Basin rainforest in their efforts to fulfil their rights to land and livelihood…
NDIMA – Mapping our Future
Accessing and using the forests upon which they depend for survival is one of the main challenges faced by local communities in the Congo Basin rainforests, especially for indigenous 'Pygmies'. National laws offer very few rights for Central Africa's forest...
What is Participatory Mapping
Mapping For Rights, an initiative of the Rainforest Foundation UK, aims to support indigenous peoples and forest dependent communities to secure rights to their land and livelihoods through the use of participatory mapping. This short video shows how mapping can help...