28.08.2026
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has adopted a National Forest Policy setting out the main strategic directions for the sector through to 2035. Governance, sustainable forest management, local timber processing, community forestry, biodiversity and innovative financing are at the heart of this new framework. For the forest and timber sector, the policy marks a new stage, with the stated ambition of better combining sustainable resource management, economic development and climate objectives.
With nearly 170 million hectares of forest, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the world’s second-largest tropical forest country. Its forests account for more than 60% of the Congo Basin’s forest area and around 10% of the world’s forests. They play an essential role in biodiversity conservation and global climate regulation, while also supporting the livelihoods of millions of people. More than 50 million Congolese depend, to varying degrees, on forest resources.
Despite this considerable potential, the formal forest sector’s contribution to the national economy remains limited. According to the diagnostic assessment that preceded the development of the National Forest Policy (NFP), the sector accounts for less than 1% of GDP. Annual industrial log production remains at around 300,000 m³, while national production is largely dominated by mostly informal artisanal logging. The country currently has 43 production forest concession titles covering approximately 8 million hectares, of which around 20 are reportedly being actively logged.
A vision for 2035
Against this backdrop, the NFP aims to provide the country with a coherent strategic framework for managing its forest heritage. Its vision for 2035 is one in which forests are sustainably managed while contributing to poverty reduction, climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.
This vision is structured around seven strategic areas: strengthening the legal and regulatory framework; reforming the institutional framework and building capacities; land allocation and sustainable management of the forest estate with social and environmental safeguards; economic development of forest resources; conservation and enhancement of biodiversity; coordination with other public policies; and partnerships, cooperation and innovative financing.
Governance is one of the major issues addressed. Although the 2002 Forest Code provided for the development of a national policy to guide reforms in the sector, the absence of such a policy had created a strategic and operational gap. The new framework aims in particular to clarify responsibilities at national, provincial and local levels, strengthen the forest administration and improve enforcement of forest regulations.
Making forests a genuine economic sector
For timber industry stakeholders, one of the most significant aspects of the new policy is its ambition to increase the economic value generated from the DRC’s forest resources.
The NFP aims to modernise value chains from harvesting through to processing and marketing, with a view to increasing the added value generated within the country. It provides for support for investment in further timber processing, technological innovation, the recovery of logging and processing residues, and the establishment of modern industrial facilities. The document also envisages the reduction and/or prohibition of log exports as part of its strategy to promote local processing.
Achieving this ambition will also require a significant strengthening of skills and technical capacities. The policy provides for the development of vocational training centres and schools dedicated to timber-related professions and sustainable forest management, as well as laboratories for timber analysis and characterisation. These facilities are intended to support certification, standardisation and the development of a modern forest industry capable of meeting the requirements of national and international markets.
These priorities directly reflect some of the key challenges facing the forest and timber sector in Central Africa: professionalisation of forest and timber occupations, improved industrial performance, development of local processing, legality and traceability, certification and market access.
A stronger role for communities and environmental services
The NFP also places considerable emphasis on community forestry. It recognises the customary rights of local communities and Indigenous Pygmy Peoples and provides for their effective participation in forest governance, including through the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Local Community Forest Concessions (CFCLs), which can cover up to 50,000 hectares per local community, are one of the instruments supporting this approach. These concessions can serve multiple purposes, potentially including artisanal timber harvesting.
Beyond timber production, the policy also seeks to diversify the economic value generated by forests. It incorporates payments for environmental services, carbon markets, biodiversity credits and international initiatives such as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF).
From ambition to implementation
The NFP therefore provides an ambitious framework that seeks to reposition forests both as a strategic natural asset and as a driver of economic development.
The main challenge will now be its implementation. The diagnostic assessment underpinning the policy highlights several structural difficulties, including limited institutional capacities, insufficient enforcement of regulations, the scale of the informal sector, limited industrial processing capacity and the low mobilisation of domestic financial resources. Financing of the forest sector currently remains largely dependent on international technical and financial partners.
For the forest and timber sector, a key issue will be to translate the NFP’s strategic orientations into conditions that enable formal and competitive companies to develop and make long-term investments in sustainable forest management, local processing, skills, traceability and certification.
he DRC has considerable forest and industrial potential. Its new National Forest Policy now provides a framework for better harnessing this potential while maintaining sustainable management as a central objective for one of the world’s largest tropical forest areas.
For further information:
Consult and download the National Forest Policy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo – November 2025: [Download the document].
