The Congolese government on Thursday launched a project in Brazzaville to combat illegal logging in the Congo Basin.
The project, according to official sources, is aimed at promoting a harmonized approach for the sustainable management of forests in the six countries of the Congo Basin — Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo.
The project will promote the development of regional models for the enhancement of craft wood industry to reduce human pressure on forests and create a bridge to the formal sector, the sources indicated.
The project, which will last four years, will also promote the efficient use of wood and the production of high-grade wood materials for carpenters and other craftsmen.
The project will be funded to the tune of US$ 3.1 million by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through the Global Environment Fund.
UNEP has entrusted its implementation to the WRI, an environmental NGO based in Washington.
