13.05.2026
The World Bank has approved the first phase of a major regional programme dedicated to sustainable forest economies in the Congo Basin. With an initial funding package of USD 394.8 million, the initiative aims to improve forest management, strengthen legal timber value chains and create around 220,000 jobs across Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo.
The programme represents an important shift in the regional development approach. Moving beyond conservation alone, it seeks to actively support local economies and forest-dependent communities while reinforcing the sustainability of forest and agricultural value chains.
The initiative will notably support:
The programme also adopts a strong regional dimension by working through institutions such as COMIFAC and CEMAC to strengthen governance, cooperation and policy coherence across the Congo Basin.
This approach aligns closely with several priorities long promoted by ATIBT: advancing sustainable tropical forest management that combines ecosystem preservation, economic development, job creation and the structuring of local value chains.
At a time when Congo Basin forests play a strategic role for climate, biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions of people, this programme could become a major catalyst for accelerating the transition towards more sustainable and inclusive forest economies.
The full World Bank announcement is available here:
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/04/01/transform-forest-economies-and-drive-jobs-opportunities-for-60-million-people-around-the-congo-basin
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