A million trees to energize DR Congo's rainforest

Trees carry the roots of development

Since 2018, the Yangambi Engagement Landscape in the Democratic Republic of Congo is host to the Center for International Forestry Research’s forest restoration initiative under which almost 2 million trees were planted by the end of 2021. With funds from the European Union, regular consultations with its local partners and your donations, this initiative is gradually reviving the landscape.

Since the beginning of this year, your numerous donations have supported the planting and distribution of over 200,000 seedlings on 241 hectares of land across the Yangambi landscape, in Kisangani, Yanonge and Yangambi.

 ‘Trees provide many benefits ranging from improving the quality of depleted soils, increasing agricultural production, and support farmers with energy production as charcoal, thus also contributing to developing the local economy”, says Paolo Cerutti, the project manager.

As activities progress, they become part of a web of interventions in the Yangambi landscape. For example, on one of our pilot farms, where we combine the planting of acacia trees with cassava, members of 5 women’s association have been trained on the transformation of cassava into flour to promote income generating activities and improve their livelihoods.

Some trees on farm can also provide valuable resources to local communities such as honey through bee keeping. We have trained farmers on bee keeping as an alternative to practices which increase pressure on the forest. Over 38 farmers grouped in various associations now produce high quality organic honey for consumption and income.

Though we firmly believe in the positive role of trees on farms, we remain very well aware that this requires long-term engagement for people to see the benefits of planting and maintaining them in their fields, instead of opening up new fields in forested areas. Hence our commitment is also expressed through continued sensitization and training on the importance of tree planting. Nurseries are being installed in primary schools to interest children in this practice and bush fire brigades are constantly trained on techniques to move away from the use of indiscriminate fire and curb and prevent incidents. The pictures attached show some of the activities carried out.

We appreciate your donations as we keep planting. Thank you!

In 2018, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) with local partners launched an EU-funded restoration initiative to bring degraded lands back into productivity in the Yangambi landscape at the bend of the Congo River near Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Careful and large-scale tree growing is one of its main pillars. And the planting of the millionth tree, in late April 2021, just after you generously started supporting this project, marked a key milestone toward our goal of restoring 10,000 hectares of land by 2025. Indeed, we had planted 1.8 million trees by November 2021. Thank you so much!

“Restoration is ultimately about creating opportunities for people”, says Paolo Cerutti, the project manager.

Describing an area where slash-and burn has long been a tradition, he explains that “People burn the forest today because what they burned yesterday provides them no option to remain: fertility and productivity decrease, improved crop varieties are not readily available, and there are no extension services supporting farmers willing to intensify and diversify on the same piece of land.”

“Together with the local population,” says the senior scientist at CIFOR, “we try to break this cycle through multiple activities, including seasonal tree planting in agroforestry schemes and improved agricultural practices which provide better local livelihoods and foster the diversification of incomes."

In the last three months of 2021, thanks to donations from people like you, more than half a million seedlings were planted on 557 hectares of land across Kisangani, Yanonge and Yangambi. This employed an estimated 655 people in roles that range from taking care of seedlings at the nurseries, to planting them, to guarding the trees against bush fires.

Furthermore, at least 10 local associations received support in establishing nurseries, the seedlings from which which will be transplanted onto their customary land. Once grown, these trees will provide a much-needed source of energy in the form of charcoal, sparing primary forests and providing an additional source of income.

As the say goes, "planting is easy, it's maintaining trees in the ground that is the difficult part"! For this reason, our team on the ground continually conducts preparatory activities, such as "farmers days" that prime local farmers to adopt improved agroforestry techniques, working with extension services, and spreading the word via community radio programmes. Some of these activities are documented in the images we have attached.

A heartfelt and big thank you to all our donors through GlobalGiving!