Social Aspects

Background

The authors discuss the lessons learned from a participatory landscape monitoring initiative in the Sangha Tri-National landscape. The initiative was started in 2006 in the Sangha Tri-National landscape; it involved a variety of stakeholders to monitor changes in peoples' livelihoods and land uses. The group collected data on certain indicators, which allowed them to produce simple simulation models on landscape change over time. 

This chapter focuses on rural poverty in central Africa and the contribution of multiple land use practices to local development.

The authors discuss the paradox of belonging to an area that is on the one hand extremely rich in natural resources, and on the other hand extremely poor in national and local development.

They stress the importance of maintaining globally important natural resources that will be able to respond to the needs of future generations of central Africans.

The authors provide an overview of the REDD+ program and deforestation in Africa. They addressed limitations fo REDD+ and noted that because each community is different, each project must be tailored to the individual needs of communities.

BACKGROUND

This report provides a background on the state of the environment in Rwanda.  The authorrs write this report to fulfil a legal requirement of the US, Foreign Assistance Act (FAA), which requires that a Tropical Forests and Biodiversity Analysis be conducted in conjunction with the development of new foreign assistance strategies and programs.  The report is also intended to identify opportunities to better integrate USAID's portfolio across development sectors by suggesting linkages with economic growth, agriculture, democracy and governance, health, and education activities.