Multi-sector Programme in Sud Ubangi Province - DRCongo

Objectives

• Support low forest impact agricultural projects (agro-forestry, savannah reclamation and improved agricultural production processes).
• Strengthen the capacities of state actors to reclaim land for local development. 
• Also make commitments in the areas of family planning, energy, land tenure and forest governance, including support for indigenous peoples and local communities to manage forests. 
• Develop agriculture and strengthen perennial crop value chains downstream.
• Build capacity among decentralized technical services in this area.

Preliminary results (December 2020)

• 804 ha in forested zones established under sustainable or mitigated degradation crop systems, including 440 ha of coffee trees and 364 ha of cocoa trees planted; two studies on these sectors are underway.
• 682 ha of savannah under sustainable or mitigated degradation crop systems (432 ha corridor crops and agroforestry, 202 ha fruit trees and 48 ha caterpillar trees)
• Participatory mapping of 5 village lands/territories resulted in the first 5 plans (out of 54 foreseen)
• 100 women/farming households have benefited from family planning and Ebola and HIV/AIDS prevention awareness
• One administrative area, territory and province with a compliant land use plan (out of 11 planned)
• A study was conducted on the biophysical environment of South Ubangi, addressing agriculture and livestock, forestry, rural development, environment and land use planning and an assessment of land use planning.
• All four territorial agricultural and rural management councils were created and are functional.
• 66 production organizer unions and 534 producer organizations were created in two territories (Gemena and Budjala).
• All 98 planned local development committees, that provide a forum for multi-actor and multi-sectoral consultations, are now established in the four territories
• Eight inspectors, nine field agronomists and 26 sector supervisors were trained.

Progress of this programme have also been described in the 2021 semestrial publication of the DRC National REDD+ Fund – read it here (in French). 

Areas of intervention

This programme targets the four territories of the province: Budjala, Gemena, Kungu and Libenge.

Synergies

• The programme complements the contribution of the World Bank's Agricultural Rehabilitation and Recovery Support Programme (PARRSA, improvement of agropastoral production, rehabilitation of roads and rural infrastructure, and capacity building of the Ministry of Agriculture). 
• It also supports the Multisectoral Programme in Mai Ndombe to ensure that policies are maintained across provincial boundaries and prevent pressures on the forest from shifting towards South Ubangi. 
• Collaborations with the provincial Multi-sectoral Programmes in Kwilu and the former Orientale provinces are being considered to share experiences, as well as with the sectoral programmes on land, land use planning, governance and family planning.

The programme focuses on activities to achieve milestones in the areas of agriculture (2018 C), forestry (2018 B), land use planning (2018 B) and governance (2018 D) of the 2016 Letter of Intent between the DRC and CAFI. Two independent verifications of these milestones were undertaken (please read the report available here).