Kinshasa, November 8th, 2026 (CPA).– Stepping up afforestation and reforestation initiatives is one of the three sustainable solutions advocated by the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to combat deforestation, during a joint press briefing with his African counterparts on Friday in Brazzaville.
“We must promote the settling of agriculture by improving land that is already under cultivation, in order to prevent farmers from moving into other areas and clearing forests. (…) We need to develop sustainable agroforestry and increase production on these lands without affecting other areas. Secondly, we must accelerate access to electricity and develop alternative energy sources that will enable farmers and consumers to stop using firewood for cooking and other domestic needs. Finally, thirdly, we must step up afforestation and reforestation efforts,” President Félix Tshisekedi said during a mini-summit on forest preservation in the Republic of the Congo.
The Congolese Head of State specified that these measures are intended to address the main drivers of deforestation, which remains a persistent problem in his country, namely slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of firewood as an energy source. “In the DRC, shifting slash-and-burn agriculture, as well as the exploitation of wood as an energy resource, are the main drivers of deforestation (…) We must therefore tackle these two problems head-on,” he said.
President Tshisekedi pointed out that deforestation poses a major challenge for the DRC, which must reconcile the preservation of its forest heritage with the use of forests as a source of energy and domestic fuel.
Focus on the “The Forest Is Us” and “Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor” programs
Furthermore, continuing his address, the Head of State cited two government programs that are already being implemented and are aimed, in particular, at preserving the country’s biodiversity. These include the “The Forest Is Us” program, which notably promotes the development of forest plantations for energy purposes. “We have a national program called ‘The Forest Is Us’. This can obviously enable us to develop forest plantations for energy purposes. That is why we welcome this United Nations initiative for the Decade of Afforestation and Reforestation, which represents a tremendous opportunity for our nations to strengthen our local efforts,” he said.
He also mentioned the “Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor” program, which seeks to protect the forests of the Congo Basin while creating employment opportunities for local communities. “There is also this vision taking shape through our Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor initiative, which offers several opportunities, including biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, access to clean energy, job creation and the development of our local communities, primarily through the fight against poverty,” the Congolese President explained, noting that these measures would also help address the challenges posed by population growth in relation to deforestation. According to the Congolese Presidency, the meeting is part of regional and international initiatives aimed at preserving forest ecosystems and is being held on the sidelines of the celebration of the 40th edition of National Tree Day. CPA/