Deep in the tropical forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a silent battle is underway. This struggle concerns not only the trees and the carbon they store but also power, participation, and the empowerment of local communities. The pilot REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) project in the Plateaux district, Mai-Ndombe province, is at the heart of this struggle.
Dr. Marie Tsanga, an anthropologist specializing in forest governance issues, explains: “The REDD+ project in Mushie represents a microcosm of the challenges faced by global forest conservation efforts. It highlights the complexity of empowering local communities within the context of large-scale international projects.”
REDD+ Context and the Promise of Community Empowerment
The REDD+ mechanism was designed as an innovative tool to combat climate change while involving local communities in sustainable forest management. Mai-Ndombe province, with its 1.5 million inhabitants and 87% forest cover, seemed an ideal candidate for such a project. Jean-Pierre Mukendi, a village chief in Mushie, recalls: “When we were told about REDD+, we were promised that we would have a say in managing our forests. It felt like a dream come true.” However, reality proved to be more complex. The alarming deforestation rate of 0.44% between 2000 and 2014 in the Plateaux district justified the intervention but also highlighted the challenges to be addressed.
Moments of Emergence of Community Power
The study aimed to identify moments when local community power emerged and was exercised within the REDD+ project. Marie Lokonga, a member of a local development committee (CLD), shares: “There were times when we really felt our voices mattered. But these moments were rare and often fleeting.”
Revisiting the Four “Places of Power”
By examining the emergence of community power in four distinct conceptual “places,” the study provided a nuanced perspective on power dynamics within the project. It notes that community empowerment is a dynamic process that manifests differently depending on the context. Therefore, it is essential to adopt a flexible and adaptive approach to support this process.
Lessons from Nepal: A Success Model?
While the REDD+ project in Mushie has faced numerous challenges, the experience of a REDD+ pilot project in Nepal offers an interesting contrast and potentially valuable lessons. Dr. Rajesh Sharma, a community forestry expert, explains: “The Nepalese project benefited from four decades of experience in community forest management. This provided a solid foundation for experimenting with a REDD+ payment mechanism and establishing an effective, efficient, and equitable procedure.”
Success in Community Monitoring
The Nepalese project demonstrated that communities are capable of conducting accurate and reliable carbon surveys with adequate training. Ram Bahadur, a member of a Nepalese forest community, says: “Initially, we were skeptical about our ability to measure carbon. But with training, we realized that our traditional forest knowledge was a valuable asset.”
Equitable Benefit Distribution
The project successfully distributed financial benefits among participants based partly on the carbon performance of communities but also considering social needs. Dr. Asha Gurung, a socio-economist, comments: “The Nepalese model shows that it is possible to reconcile environmental efficiency and social equity. It is a delicate balance but crucial for the long-term success of REDD+.” The Nepalese experience highlights the importance of a holistic approach that integrates environmental, social, and economic objectives.
Challenges of Scaling Up: From Pilot to National
Despite the successes of the Nepalese pilot project, scaling it up to a national level presents significant challenges. Dr. Prakash Lamsal, a forest policy expert, explains: “Moving from a pilot scale to a national scale requires not only financial resources but also a profound transformation of institutions and mindsets.”
Capacity Building
The Nepalese experience underscored the crucial importance of capacity building, both at the governmental and community levels. Sita Devi, a Nepalese forest official, states: “We realized that for REDD+ to work at a large scale, we needed to invest heavily in training, not just for communities but also for our own teams.”
Integration into National Systems
Integrating community monitoring into national Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems remains a major challenge. Dr. Lila Nath Sharma, a remote sensing expert, comments: “Community data can greatly enrich our national estimates. But for this to happen, we need to develop standardized protocols and robust quality assurance systems.” Scaling up REDD+ pilot projects requires a systemic approach that addresses technical, institutional, and social aspects.
REDD+ Beyond Carbon: The Importance of Co-Benefits
Both the Congolese and Nepalese experiences underscore the crucial importance of co-benefits in the success of REDD+ projects. Dr. Claudine Munari, an anthropologist, explains: “REDD+ cannot be viewed solely through the lens of carbon. For local communities, impacts on livelihoods and institutional strengthening are just as important, if not more.”
Improving Livelihoods
The Nepalese project demonstrated positive impacts on the livelihoods of participating communities. Maya Tamang, a Nepalese farmer, says: “Thanks to the REDD+ project, we not only improved our forest but also diversified our income sources. That has really made a difference for us.”
Strengthening Institutional and Technical Capacities
Both projects have contributed to strengthening institutional and technical capacities within communities. Dr. Emmanuel Lubala, a community development expert, comments: “The true success of these projects lies in strengthening social and human capital. This will enable communities to sustainably manage their resources in the long term.” REDD+ projects need to be designed and evaluated not only in terms of carbon efficiency but also based on their broader socio-economic and institutional impacts.
Social Inclusion Challenges: A Question of Sustainability
The experience of both projects highlights the crucial importance of social inclusion for the sustainability of REDD+ initiatives. Dr. Thérèse Kabongo, a sociologist, explains: “Exclusion of certain groups, whether based on ethnicity, gender, or socio-economic status, can undermine the legitimacy and effectiveness of REDD+ projects.”
Promoting Meaningful Participation
Managing Conflicts of Interest
The Congolese experience highlighted challenges related to inter-community conflicts. Dr. Pascal Nzolameso, a conflict resolution expert, comments: “REDD+ projects can exacerbate existing tensions or create new ones. It is crucial to have robust conflict resolution mechanisms integrated from the outset of the project.” François Bolamba, a clan chief in Mushie, adds: “The project has sometimes created divisions in our community. Some felt left out, which led to tensions.” This situation shows that proactive conflict management and promoting inclusive participation are essential for the long-term sustainability of REDD+ projects.
The Role of Technology: Opportunities and Challenges
The increasing use of technology in REDD+ projects offers new opportunities but also raises questions of equity and access. Dr. Aminata Koné, an information technology expert, explains: “Digital tools can greatly enhance data collection and analysis, but they can also create new forms of exclusion if their use is not carefully managed.”
Satellite and Drone Monitoring
The use of remote sensing and drones offers new possibilities for forest monitoring but raises questions about the role of local communities in this process. Jean-Claude Maboto, a forest ranger in Mushie, says: “Drones allow us to monitor large areas quickly. But we must ensure this does not replace our ground knowledge and our relationship with the forest.”
Mobile Applications for Data Collection
Mobile applications have been developed to facilitate data collection by communities, but their effective use requires training and equitable access. Dr. Sylvie Mukendi, an application development specialist, comments: “These tools can empower communities, but we need to be mindful of access disparities and digital skills.” Integrating technology into REDD+ projects must be accompanied by efforts to ensure equitable access and strengthen local capacities.
Towards a New Approach to Community Empowerment
The experiences from Mushie and Nepal highlight the need for a more nuanced and contextualized approach to community empowerment in REDD+ projects. Dr. Léonard Matondo, a sustainable development expert, explains: “Empowerment cannot be imposed from outside. It must emerge from a process of dialogue and mutual learning between communities, governments, and international partners.”
Rethinking Participation
It is crucial to rethink the notion of participation to go beyond mere consultation and enable genuine co-creation of projects. Marie-Claire Lumumba, a community leader in Mushie, says: “We don’t want to just be informed or consulted. We want to be full partners in designing and implementing projects that affect our forests and our lives.”
Strengthening Local Institutions
Strengthening existing local institutions, rather than creating new structures, may offer a more sustainable path to empowerment. Dr. Antoine Kasongo, a local governance specialist, comments: “We need to build on existing governance structures, strengthening and making them more inclusive, rather than creating parallel structures that can undermine local authority.” From the above, it is evident that community empowerment within REDD+ requires a long-term approach, grounded in local realities and respectful of existing institutions.
The REDD+ pilot project in Mushie, DR Congo, and the Nepalese experience offer valuable lessons for the future of REDD+ and, more broadly, for community empowerment in natural resource management. Dr. Jeanne Mwamba, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development Research, summarizes: “These experiences show us that community empowerment is not an automatic result ofREDD+ projects. It is a complex process that requires constant attention to local power dynamics, a flexible and adaptive approach, and long-term commitment.”
The challenges encountered in Mushie, from creating participatory structures to managing conflicts of interest, underscore the need for a deep understanding of local contexts. Meanwhile, the successes in Nepal in community monitoring and equitable benefit distribution provide promising models while highlighting the challenges of scaling up. As REDD+ continues to evolve, it is clear that its success will depend not only on its ability to reduce carbon emissions but also on its impact on community empowerment and local sustainable development. This will require a holistic approach that goes beyond technical considerations to address complex issues of power, equity, and social justice. Ultimately, the experiences from Mushie and Nepal remind us that true community empowerment is a journey, not a destination. It is an ongoing process of learning, adaptation, and transformation that requires patience, commitment, and a willingness to challenge our own assumptions about power and participation. As Mama Jeanne, a member of the CLD in Mushie, aptly puts it: “Our forest is our life. With REDD+, we have begun a new chapter in our story. It’s not always easy, but we learn every day to make our voices heard and shape our future.”
The future of REDD+ and community empowerment in forest management remains to be written. But one thing is clear: only by placing communities at the heart of these efforts can we hope to achieve our forest conservation and sustainable development goals.
By Franck Zongwe Lukama
