Advancing its national REDD+ process in spite of instability
“REDD+ in the Central African Republic is a genuine sustainable development tool, led at the highest level. The support from CAFI to prepare a national investment framework for REDD+, that we want robust and inclusive, is a strategic opportunity to strengthen efforts, capacities and the sustainable and democratic management of forests, despite our recent political and security challenges.”
H.E. Arlette SOMBO-DIBELE, Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development, Water, Forests, Hunting and Fisheries
Preparatory Grant | Approved on 22 February 2016 (Decision EB.2016.2) 1 million US$ to develop a National Investment Framework (NIF), executed jointly with the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Readiness Preparation grant. |
Responsible Governmental Party | Ministry of the Environment and Ecology (MEEDD) |
Implementing organization | World Bank |
Funds transferred | See the MPTF Gateway CAFI page, under "projects" or here |
Status | NIF under development, anticipated in December 2018 |
The forests of the Central African Republic span over 28.3 million hectares and cover 45% of its territory.
The history of the CAR is marked by sudden regime changes, but the recent political and security crises have exacerbated its socio-economic difficulties. Landlocked and dependent on the river Oubangui-Congo and routes to Chad and Cameroon, CAR is among the poorest of the least developed countries, with a Human Development Index placing it 188th out of 188 countries (UNDP, 2016).
While an in-depth study of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation is being conducted, indirect and direct drivers have been preliminary identified. Even prior to the most recent crisis, CAR had suffered from more than a decade of conflict and political instability. Yet, in spite of instability and limited resources, the country has continued to advance its REDD+ agenda. CAR is preparing institutional arrangement for REDD+ and a socially and environmentally-sound National REDD+ Strategy. The National REDD+ Committee is chaired at the highest level, by the Prime Minister.
The CAFI Executive Board approved a grant of 1 million US$ to support the Central African Republic in developing a comprehensive multi-sector National Investment Framework for REDD+ (NIF) that consolidates national financing priorities through a broad consultative process.
The National Investment Framework will complement the design process of the National REDD+ Strategy and identify financing priorities - and associated budgets - for addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.
The development of the NIF emphasizes consultations with relevant development partners, such as embassies of donor countries, technical agencies or implementing organizations, to:
High-level and focused multi-stakeholder consultations with authorities, civil society and indigenous organizations the private sector, elected representatives, researches are also planned.
The elaboration of the REDD+ strategy (financed by FCPF) and of the SESA (financed by FCPF) has started, also under supervision of the Ministry of Environment. These activities will inform each other.