The Central African Republic (CAR) has launched a new project that will pay local people and communities for protecting forests around Bangui, linking forest protection to household income and local development.
A $10 million project funded by the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the payment for environmental services (PES) project will operate in Bangui and surrounding areas. Its five-year implementation phase is designed to support local communities while encouraging better management of forest areas.
Paying for Results
Under the project, individuals and communities that help protect forest areas can receive financial incentives along with technical and administrative support. Payments will be made after agreed results have been measured and verified, meaning communities will be rewarded for maintaining or restoring forest areas rather than simply receiving funding in advance.
The project will support activities including agroforestry, the restoration of degraded areas, and conservation in community forests. Its targets include establishing 2,000 hectares of agroforestry plantations, supporting the natural regeneration of 800 hectares, and conserving 20,000 hectares through community forests.
For households in and around Bangui, the initiative is intended to provide an additional source of income while encouraging practices that protect forests on which local communities depend. The project also includes work on community governance and land rights, with participation planned for women, young people, and Indigenous Peoples.
CAR Prime Minister Félix Moloua said the government sees the project as a way to combine forest protection with economic development and increase the incomes of beneficiary households. UNDP has similarly emphasized that affected communities should be directly involved in implementing the project.
The initiative gives CAR a new way to connect financial support with results achieved by local communities. For people living around Bangui, its longer-term impact will depend on whether the payments provide a reliable source of income while helping communities manage forest areas more sustainably.
