In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the absence a legal, regulatory and institutional framework for land use planning has historically led to sectoral legislation (land, mining, forestry and agricultural) being drawn up without cross-cutting consultation between ministries, resulting in numerous conflicts over the use of space and resources. Land Use Planning is one of the seven pillars of the DRC’s REDD+ Strategy. The Programme to Support Land Use Planning Reform, which began in 2016, aims to contribute to a consensual, spatially-based vision of natural resource use that addresses the short, medium and long term, corresponds to needs, promotes sustainable, inclusive growth and preserves tree cover. It also seeks to strengthen institutional capacities to implement this vision. This shared vision will be translated into an integrated and coherent framework and mainstreamed and operationalized at the national, provincial and decentralized territorial entity levels (‘entités territoriales décentralisées’, or ‘ETD’).
Supporting the DRC Land-Use Planning Reform
Timeline
Objectives
This project strengthens the Democratic Republic of Congo’s efforts to fight climate change by reforming land-use planning in line with the national REDD+ strategy. It focuses on:
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Policy & Law – Develop a national land-use policy and strengthen the legal framework to coordinate sectoral and territorial policies, resolve land allocation conflicts, and promote balanced development that safeguards forests and ecosystems. This includes revising legal texts, aligning institutional mandates, and advocating for a low-carbon, REDD+-compliant approach.
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Institutions & Capacity –Build the capacity of key actors such as MATUH, CONARAT, regional offices, and local authorities. This involves reorganizing structures, improving leadership, strengthening negotiation skills, and creating practical guides for land-use and REDD+ project management.
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Environment & Social Safeguards –Ensure environmental and social safeguards are integrated throughout planning and implementation, guaranteeing that REDD+ requirements are met while keeping safeguards embedded within the broader land-use process.
Results to date
- Land-use planning Policy document adopted
- Land-use planning Law adopted and promulgated in July 2025
Project document - Support Land-Use Planning Reform - UNDP