The two DRC provinces of Kasai Oriental and Lomami hold 6.2 million inhabitants and 1.1 million hectares of forests. They face major socio-economic and environmental challenges: extreme poverty – over 90% of the population lives on less than USD 2 per day-  chronic food insecurity – 60 to 89% of households, limited access to electricity, isolation, and fragile local governance. The Integrated REDD+ Programme in these provinces, abbreviated as PIREDD KoLomami or KORLOM. aimes at reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable management of natural resources. 

The total forest cover represents 17% of the surface area of the two provinces, but has significantly declined: between 2001 and 2020, nearly 38% of forests disappeared in Kasai Oriental and 10% in Lomami. Direct drivers are slash-and-burn shifting agriculture, artisanal wood fuel exploitation, and bushfires; while the indirect causes include lack of land-use planning, weak governance, and growing demographic pressure.