Multi-sectoral Programme in Mai-Ndombe Province - DRCongo

Expected impacts 

The Mai-Ndombe PIREDD aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 27.7 million tonnes and improve the livelihoods of 150,000 people, including 75,000 women and 15,000 indigenous people.

Anticipated results  

• The programme supports 28,000 smallholders and 2,000 farmers to implement natural resource management plans on village land that aim to develop savannah agriculture, make forest agriculture more sustainable and set aside primary forests.
• Making forest-friendly agricultural investments: the programme provides equipment for agroforestry nurseries, seeds and agricultural inputs. This aims to support peasants and farmers to develop 11,650 hectares of perennial crops (plantain banana, palm oil, coffee and cocoa) as an alternative to planting food crops on burned fallow land and to disseminate improved varieties of food crops (cassava, maize). Agricultural advisory councils are being established to guide these activities. 
• Reduce the use of unsustainable wood energy: To increase the share of sustainable wood energy in energy consumption, the programme aims to set aside 30,000 hectares of savannah for natural regeneration and to plant 3,350 hectares of acacia trees in agroforestry. The Mai Ndombé PIREDD supports the development of a strategy to regulate coal mining and related provincial regulations, and organising stakeholders into professional associations.
• Manage the forests sustainably: In areas located in a forest/savannah mosaic zone, the Mai-Ndombe PIREDD invests in protecting and conserving 10,000 ha of primary forests.  The programme supports the organization of local development committees (CLDs) for 600 villages. Based on participatory maps, land use plans are developed. Conservation contracts based on these plans will define objectives, and their achievement should trigger payments for results. Micro-projects benefiting indigenous peoples should be implemented. 
• Optimize land use: The programme will also support the development of land use plans at the provincial, district, territorial (four) and sector (15) levels to analyse changes in the causes of deforestation and will plan sustainable resource management measures. These plans will highlight the process for drafting regulations and their related responsibilities.  Because opening up the sector is a major concern, the programme also provides for infrastructure investments to facilitate and secure the movement of goods and people. 
• Secure land rights: The programme will develop a provincial land order on the formal recognition of land use plans, a functional land coordination unit, as well as a provincial map and 600 participatory land maps for the various land rights-of-way. In addition, the programme will train and equip the four territories’ agriculture and land registry departments. 
• Reduce human pressure on forests from migration and demographic change: the PIREDD will support the district’s 180,000 farming households with information/awareness campaigns on rights-based family planning, Ebola and HIV-AIDS prevention, and education for young girls, with the aim of increasing use of rights-based family planning methods from 5 percent to 10 percent. 
• Ensure good governance and stakeholder participation and ownership: 600 LDCs, a provincial forestry council and four rural agricultural land councils will be strengthened or created. 

Results as of 31 December 2022

• Development co-beneficiaries: 68,187 farmers supported/direct beneficiaries (members of LDCs who receive direct support from the project as well as Payment for Environmental Services (PES), including 22,715 women, and 1,510 members of indigenous groups.
• Governance:
  • 480 local development committees created or re-vitalized, out of 600 anticipated.
• Agriculture: 
  • 898 ha of perennial crops (such as cocoa, banana, rubber and palm) have been planted (9% of the 10,000 ha target).
  • 1,693 ha of perennial crops have been planted in savannahs (102.6% of 1,650 target).
• Energy: 
  •  9,936 ha of savannah land has been set aside for natural regeneration (33% of the 30.000 ha target).
  • 3,500 ha of agroforestry land planted, including 1,800 ha of acacia (70% of the 5,000 ha target).
• Land use planning and infrastructure:
  • 480 Natural Resource Management Plans (PGRN) have been developed and validated (80% of the target) and 5 Sustainable Development Plans (PDD) have been created.
  • 21 bridges and 8 canals have been rehabilitated.
• Sustainable forest management:
  • 2,194 ha of community forestry planted (21.9% of the 10,000 ha target).
  • All work toward sustainable agricultural management, agroforestry and energy improvements brings the total in sustainable management of land to 16,521 ha or 30% of the 55,000 ha target. 
• Family planning:
  • 16,320 households, or an estimated 130,562 people including 99,093 men, 31,469 women and 10,774 indigenous people, benefit from awareness of family planning services. 
  • The Permanent Multisectoral Technical Committee for Family Planning is operational.

Earlier progress of this programme have also been described in the 2021 semestrial publication of the DRC National REDD+ Fund – read it here and here (in French).

Intervention area

Plateau and Mai-Ndombe districts. 

Synergies

The PIREDD contributes to several milestones of the 2016 Letter of Intent between DRC and CAFI; namely milestones 1a, 1c, 2b, 3b, 3c, 3g, 5b, 6c, 7a and 8d. Two independent verifications of these milestones were undertaken (please read the report available here).