A mapping project resulted in improved transparency and civil society participation in forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo

As a result of the program, DRC civil society and media are having access to better and more transparent information and deforestation analyses that will improve their cases for response in forest governance.

Expected disbursement was 13 960 000 NOK, but due to lower project expenditures the total amount of disbursed grants was adjusted accordingly.

The purpose of the project was to contribute to transparent forest governance in tropical forests, by building an independent alliance to monitor forest governance for REDD+ and natural resources use in DRC.

Why did Norway decide to support this project?

As DRC holds the majority of the world’s second largest continuous rainforest block, the success of REDD+ in the DRC is critical to global climate change mitigation efforts. Current efforts to stem the drivers of deforestation in DRC remain fragmented and under supported.

IIASA claimed that the implementation of REDD+ requires a transparent flow of reliable information from the field to national and international levels. The organization further explained that while satellite monitoring can identify deforestation and some level of forest degradation, it is unable to describe who caused it, why, and the value extracted. Moreover, field level information and planning data are often fragmented, out of date, and restricted by different organizations.

Therefore, IIASA and its partners identified the need for a comprehensive database combining independent sources of information, which would contribute to transparency in forest governance.

Norad assessed IIASA to be competent and capable for this work, especially because of its experience with DRC’s REDD-processes. The project was relevant to the objectives and the thematic categories of the Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative.

The project focused on the following three outcomes:

Outcome 1 – Regular and transparent civil society participation in land use planning Outcome 2 - Continuous and regular field monitoring through a collaborative mapping (Field monitoring through a collaborative mapping platform – tentatively called MOABI 2.0)
Outcome 3 - Strengthened REDD+ and Natural Resource planning, specifically with reference levels

Results

This project has led to several results that Norad assesses to provide a substantive to ensure desired changes. Overall, the outcomes have been achieved to a satisfactory degree, with some risks limiting the full goal achievement.

Regarding outcome 1, IIASA and its partners have strengthened the capacity of DRC civil society to conduct independent forest monitoring methodology for REDD+. As results of the program Moabi is providing access to information on planned and informal drivers of deforestation. The project contributed to strengthening transparency, for example, by producing annual REDD+ risk map highlighting overlaps between REDD+ and competing land uses, especially the extractive sector.

Regarding outcome 2, Moabi is the only platform that hosts civil society, government and private sector, and research data in a platform in DRC. The projects outputs have brought an important amount of new driver data into the public domain including oil and gas blocks, indigenous peoples’ reserves, REDD+ program zones, and agricultural concessions. Moabi DRC was established in 2015 as a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization to continue supporting independent monitoring in the Congo Basin, primarily focused on DRC.

Regarding outcome 3, monitoring organizations and donors such as the World Bank Extractives Team, Global Witness and REDD+ project proponents rely upon Moabi DRC as a reliable and up-to-date source on deforestation driver data in the country. Norad considers this a sign of the quality of the project. Moabi DRC is in the Emissions Reduction Program Document (ERPD) as a potential safeguard information system.

According to the final report, all outcomes of the project were achieved with the exception of sustaining continuous forest monitoring. According to IIASA, this was largely due to delays to the approval of the Emission Reduction Program Document (ERPD) in Mai Ndombe and the delayed National Strategy for REDD+ in DRC.

IIASA explains that Moabi’s recognition within the Central African Forest Initiative process will influence its ability to have the ERPD budget and Moabi’s institutional role approved and thereby the potential for receiving funding that can sustain continuous monitoring.