Extract
[...] On the other hand, in Gabon, a lower deforestation rate is observed than in Cameroon, due to the agricultural dynamics and the opening of roads. Ultimately, the main drivers of deforestation in the Congo Basin are the increase in cultivated areas, demographic growth, and the development of infrastructure. In addition, these direct factors of deforestation are reinforced by economic, institutional (political), technological, and demographic aspects that explain local specificities and differences between regions worldwide. We focus on three underlying important factors in the Congo Basin, in terms of deforestation: Economic factors. [...]
[...] Congo Basin Bassin du Congo 1. Health status of the forest in the Congo Basin region Six countries form the Congo Basin: Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Republic of the Congo. The Congo Basin forest, which spans these six countries, represents an invaluable natural heritage in the fight against climate change. Certainly, the forests of the Congo Basin are among the best-preserved forest zones in the world, with the lowest deforestation rate on the planet, as observed by De Wasseige et al. [...]
[...] Gabon, on the other hand, is also positioned in this declining phase, even if its deforestation rate remains low. Finally, according to the modeling proposed by Mosnier et al. (2014) on the prospects of the forest cover in the Congo Basin, based on scenarios of possible causes of deforestation for the horizon 2030, the following results emerge. The net deforestation would increase due to development and modernization of transportation infrastructure, making local products more competitive and resulting in an increase in demand. [...]
[...] In addition, this population is predominantly rural and migrates to cities. Therefore, a sudden increase in population density, caused by migration, would be needed to impact the forest cover. However, the latter is affected by urban demographic growth, which translates into an increase in demand for agricultural products and firewood. 2. Sustainable Forest Resource Management Plan The forests of the Congo Basin play a major role in the industrial development and economies of Central Africa, through value chains of forest products (notably industrial timber), in wood-energy and agricultural products. [...]
[...] Neufchâteau, Belgium: Weyrich, 21-46. De Wasseige C. et al. (2014), The forests of the Congo Basin: state of the forests 2013. Neufchâteau, Belgium: Weyrich. Ernst C. et al. (2013), "National Forest cover change in Congo Basin: deforestation, reforestation, degradation and regeneration for the years and 2005", Global Change Biol., 1173-1187 Feintrenie L., (2014), "Agro-industrial plantations in Central Africa, risks and opportunities", Biodivers. Conserv., pp. 1577-1589. Fleury M.-F. [...]
