Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The forestry sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) suffers from systemic governance failures, including corruption, institutional incapacity, and a significant gap between policy and practice. Despite a title conversion process that left the country with 80 logging concessions covering less than 20% of forested areas, illegal logging persists due to weak deterrents and state harassment. Local communities are largely marginalized in decision-making and benefit-sharing, often lacking the capacity to negotiate 'cahiers des charges' (social contracts) with logging companies. Financially, the sector contributes only 1% to the national GDP, far below the 5% average for other COMIFAC countries, with tax reforms stalled by officials benefiting from unofficial levies. Strategic threats include the 'Asian rush' of new market players and a rise in informal artisanal exploitation by those whose titles were cancelled.

• The DRC's forestry sector is plagued by corruption, a culture of impunity, and insufficient institutional capacity, resulting in a 'huge gap between policy and practice'.
• A review of old logging titles between 2006 and 2010 resulted in 80 logging concessions, which account for less than 20% of the DRC's forested area.
• The forestry sector's economic contribution to the DRC is significantly lower than its regional peers, contributing only 1% to GDP compared to a 5% average for other countries in the Central Africa Forestry Commission (COMIFAC).
• Local communities are marginalized in forest governance due to information asymmetry and a lack of negotiating capacity, often becoming 'mere bystanders' while urban elites dominate decision-making.
• The implementation of 'cahiers des charges' (social contracts) between logging companies and communities is hindered by differing expectations and the tendency for these contracts to replace state responsibilities for providing basic services like schools and hospitals.
• Tax reforms intended to increase revenue and traceability, such as the March 2004 package, are resisted by government officials who rely on official and unofficial taxes for their income.
• The sector faces new strategic pressures from 'the Asian rush', involving Asian operators acting as brokers or focusing on bio-energy, and the 'vengeance of the non-runners', where individuals with cancelled titles turn to illegal artisanal exploitation.

APA

Kiyulu, J. (2011). Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Policy-Briefing-33.pdf

Chicago

Kiyulu, Joël. Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2011. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Policy-Briefing-33.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kiyulu |first1=Joël |title=Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=July 2011 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Policy-Briefing-33.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kiyulu2011forest, author = {Kiyulu, Joël}, title = {{Forest governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2011}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Policy-Briefing-33.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }