Tshisekedi backs agroforestry and clean energy in DR Congo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Le Potentiel
Illustrative image · Edu Raw · Pexels · Licence PexelsFélix Tshisekedi wants to reduce deforestation by developing agroforestry, accelerating access to electricity and strengthening reforestation in DR Congo. The strategy aims in particular to limit the use of wood fuel and reconcile forest protection, sustainable agriculture, jobs and improved living conditions, according to Le Potentiel.
Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi advocates settling agriculture and developing agroforestry to limit the degradation of forest cover in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). He identifies shifting cultivation using slash-and-burn practices and the exploitation of wood fuel, the main source of household energy for many households, as two major factors behind this degradation, reports Le Potentiel.
The head of state also proposes accelerating access to electricity and developing alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on firewood and charcoal. He wants to strengthen reforestation through the national programme “La forêt, c’est nous” and the opportunities offered by the United Nations Decade dedicated to afforestation and reforestation, according to Le Potentiel.
This strategy is linked to the Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor, an initiative aimed at combining biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, access to clean energy, job creation and improved living conditions for local communities. Félix Tshisekedi presents the challenge as a balance between protecting the country’s forest heritage and meeting the food and energy needs of a growing population.
