Eleventh International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) occupies 61% of Congo Basin Forest (CBF)―the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. In spite of CBF, DRC’ inhabitants suffer from climate change effects. Gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane are major contributors to the changing climates. Deforestation and forest degradation―represent up to 20% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions, more than the entire global transport sector which accounts for 13%―contribute to the climate change through the release of CO2. The degradation of DRC Forest is linked to abusive methods of forest chopping. DRC’s people are invited to get involved and contribute in the fighting against the climate change and diseases related to improper sanitation they suffer from through planting new trees to help reduce the amount of atmospheric CO2 and the use of a safe sanitation. The purpose of this project was to encourage and help rural communities to get involved in reduction of atmospheric CO2 through doing the sustainable reforestation. Information and awareness raising campaign on the climate change, reforestation, ecological sanitation and dry toilet, included activities of indentifying households whose a part of their farmlands can allow planting at least 20 fruit trees, training, reforestation, and construction of dry toilets; and the planting 20 fruit trees operation for one dry toilet were implemented. In 2018, 11 households have planted 374 various fruit trees. Fruit trees plantation is a sustainable project as it is economically profitable and will not undergo chopping. Recommendations are made for funding organizations to support such projects.