More than 200 local community forest concessions (CFCL) have been granted to communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, covering a total area of 4,487,989 hectares. However, it has been noted that in Haut-Katanga province, the mining registry, a public institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Mines, continues to grant exploration and mining permits for these areas. This region, rich in copper, cobalt, manganese, and lithium—key resources for the energy transition—is experiencing renewed interest from mining companies.
In addition, several forest concessions have been granted on dormant mining permits. Most of these permits had been revoked due to non-payment of mining royalties. This means that the holders can reactivate them at any time by paying these royalties, thus jeopardizing the survival of the forest concessions.
This reporting project will investigate companies whose permits have been revoked to determine whether they have actually ceased their activities in the field and examine the future of permits that overlap with community forest concessions.
In addition, this project will examine mechanisms for strengthening the legal framework establishing community forests in order to enhance their protection. In addition, it will analyze dormant mining permits within several community forest concessions and identify the threats they pose to the future of community forests
Also, it will study how the sale of carbon credits can compensate for the lack of profitability of CFCLs for the benefit of the community.
