The Programme Intégré REDD+ du Sud Ubangi (PIREDD Sud Ubangi) supported sustainable land use and forest protection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Sud-Ubangi province, an area with high agricultural potential but significant deforestation risk. The programme worked with rural communities to shift from slash-and-burn farming to more sustainable practices such as agroforestry and perennial crops, while building local governance systems to plan and manage land collectively.

Results achieved:

• 98 Local Development Committees (CLD) created and trained, far exceeding targets, enabling participatory land-use planning.

• 1,257 hectares reforested or planted with coffee, cocoa, fruit trees and other species, benefiting about 2,500 farming households, including women and Indigenous Peoples.

• 170 provincial officials trained on land, forestry and governance; 47 motorcycles provided to strengthen field support and monitoring.

Despite some delays and reduced scale for land-use plans, the programme strengthened local capacity, improved food security and income, and laid foundations for long-term forest protection in Sud-Ubangi.