Title
Balancing Carbon, Forestry, Indigenous and Mining Values in the Congo.
Author(s)
Grantham, Hedley; Bonfills, Djoan; Maisels, Fiona; Rayden, Tim; Strindberg, Samantha; Tulloch, Ayesha
Published
2017
Abstract
Through an USAID funded initiative, The Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group, we are exploring methodological approaches for spatial prioritization and scenario analysis in landscapes with high biodiversity value as well as multiple human uses and threatening processes impacting species. Our aim is to develop guidelines for applying spatial prioritization and scenario analysis to biodiversity conservation and land-use planning in Africa. In this talk we present a case study from northern Republic of Congo (ROC) and illustrate synergies and differences between this and other African planning landscapes including Eastern DRC, Madagascar and western Tanzania. For northern ROC, we provide an overview of our spatial prioritization approach that focuses on minimizing the loss and degradation of forests, and maximizing biodiversity and carbon benefits. We show how to apply knowledge of above-ground biomass and human pressures to inform planning about where ecosystems are in better or worse condition. We introduce our landscape accounting methods that enable different prioritization and scenarios to be explored, and their benefits/costs measured (e.g. wildlife abundance). The assessment is informing a REDD+ initiative and needs to balance conservation with: forestry, industrial agriculture (oil palm), smallholder agriculture, infrastructure and mining developments. We will highlight the importance of scoping current and potential land-uses upfront to identify the best opportunities and constraints for conservation outcomes when designing a landscape prioritization
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PUB26788