Context
The mining and oil sectors do not cause important deforestation in Central Africa, at least in terms of surface area. Yet, they open access to pristine forests (and as such can also be categorized as an indirect driver) and encourage migrations. Numerous new projects are being considered in these sectors. For example, most of DRC’s primary rainforest has been included in exploration concessions, while exploration contracts were issued in the Republic Congo in the peatland area.
While CAFI does not currently have dedicated programmes, it should be noted that in the Republic of Congo, in the Letter of Intent signed with CAFI in 2019, has committed to neither drain nor dry peatlands; a proposal for a programme in DRC is under development ; the CAFI's regional study on drivers will help pin point trends in forest loss due to the mining and hydrocarbon sectors.