Restoring land and supporting communities in DR Congo through reforestation
In North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, almost all energy comes from firewood and charcoal, largely sourced unsustainably and even illegally from Virunga National Park. Deforestation reached 2.5% a year between 1995 and 2006. Grants alone have not been enough to pay smallholders to reforest and scale up.
To learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals verified by the standard for this project, please check the project's registry link above.
Smallholders, organised in local associations, plant fast-growing trees such as eucalyptus and grevillea on deforested farmland around Virunga National Park, with intercropping allowed. Harvested wood supplies sustainable charcoal. WWF implements the project, developed by CO2logic, a South Pole company, and certified under Gold Standard (GS5618).
The plantations are designed to remove carbon, stabilise soils and protect watersheds, while local wood supply eases pressure on the park. By end-2016, around 3,350 eligible hectares had been planted. Per-hectare payments and a revolving fund aim to raise farmer incomes, supporting education, healthcare and housing.
