The Cuvette Centrale peatlands of the Congo Basin have recently received international attention, as updated estimates of their expanse have seen them deemed the largest continuous area of tropical peatland in the world. They are located in the transboundary area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo.

The importance of peatlands is already well established – they store significant carbon, provide climate and water regulating services, and host unique biodiverse ecosystems. The Cuvette Centrale therefore need to be conserved and sustainably managed in order to maintain the important ecosystem services they provide, including for communities living in and around these areas.

To honour the interest in, and importance of, these sensitive ecosystems – including through national commitments made under UN Convention on Biological Diversity and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change targets, strong institutional arrangements are required. A governance framework for peatlands is cross-sectoral in nature, and it requires coordination across multiple sectors and jurisdictional levels. This session will introduce the current governance frameworks in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo, outlining both opportunities and gaps. Presenters will draw on examples from other countries that are more advanced in integrating peatlands into their national agendas.

Registration

Introduction to the session and panelists

Moderator

Denis Sonwa

Senior Scientist, CIFOR-ICRAF

Current governance and policy framework in RoC including planned activities and processes to address gaps

Speaker

Arlette Soudan-Nonault

Minister, Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and the RoC Congo Basin, Republic of the Congo

Current governance and policy framework in DRC including planned activities and processes to address gaps

Speaker

Jean Jacques Bambuta Boole

National Coordinator and Focal Point of Peatlands, Democratic Republic of Congo

Peatland legal frameworks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo, main opportunities to strengthen legal peatland protection

Speakers

Jean Jacques Bambuta Boole

National Coordinator and Focal Point of Peatlands, Democratic Republic of Congo

Brice Séverin Pongui

Executive Director, Institut Cerveau Vert 2063

Indonesia’s peatland policy and governance experiences including integration of peatland considerations in national policy and processes

Questions and answers and discussion between audience and panelists

Moderators

Denis Sonwa

Senior Scientist, CIFOR-ICRAF

René Siwe

Climate Fellow, U.S. Forest Service Central Africa Program