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TRIDOM Green Investment Partnership
In the heart of the Congo Basin lies the Tri-National Dja Odzala Minkebe (TRIDOM) Forest Landscape, shared by Cameroon, Gabon, and Congo-Brazzaville. With the area of 178,000 km² and only some 250,000 inhabitants, it is 97% covered with tropical lowland rainforest. TRIDOM is a unique wildlife stronghold: critically endangered elephants & gorilla and chimpanzee . The protected area estate covers 24% (42,319 km²) .
TRIDOM is also home to Bantou shifting cultivators and small-scale cocoa farmers, artisanal gold miners and ~10,000 indigenous Baka. More than half of TRIDOM is attributed to logging concessions, and the landscape is heralded as a future “African Pilbara” but iron ore mining projects are currently on hold. The unlogged or lightly logged forests of TRIDOM store huge quantities of Carbon.
TRIDOM GREEN INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP.
- Two jurisdictional REDD programs are under preparation (Cameroon and RoC) (FCPF, $283M) --> possibility to influence
- Most logging concessions are not certified and subject to high impact logging by (mostly) chinese companies (potential for Gabon GCF Proposal).
- Infrastructure & Mine financing offers the opportunity to advocate for set asides.
Therefore we see the potential for a TRIDOM green investment partnership that could be funded by debt funding (GCF), grants (ex. Infrastructure development funds), and carbon emission reduction performance payments. Each country would have its own autonomy but attractiveness for investors would increase knowing that investments are mirrored across borders and contributing to the ecological sustainability of a large transborder landscape.
Landscape description
In the heart of the Congo Basin, the Tri-National Dja-Odzala-Minkebe (TRIDOM) Landscape covers nearly 10% of the rainforests (178,000 km²) in Cameroon, Gabon, and Congo-Brazzaville, and currently includes 11 protected areas (in total 42,319 km² or 24% of TRIDOM). This is a priority landscape for WWF as it holds the largest elephant population in the Congo Basin (estimated at up to 40,000, though rapidly declining) and harbours most of the biodiversity typically found in central Africa’s rainforests, including both western gorillas and central chimpanzees (estimated at up to 140,000). TRIDOM has only some 250,000 inhabitants (typically 1 inh/km² average density) including an estimated 10,000 Baka indigenous people.
Country
Gabon, Congo and Cameroon.
The 178,000 km² Tri-National Dja –Odzala-Minkebe landscape (TRIDOM) is a transboundary rainforest shared by Cameroon, the Republic of Congo and Gabon. It is considered a stronghold for great apes and forest elephants and harbours large scale ecological processes. Protected areas cover 24% of the landscape and are still ecologically connected by a large expanse of forest matrix.
Congo Basin
Contact organisation
WWF Cameroon
Local landscape lead
Jaap Van Der Waarde and Jonas Kemajou
Main partners
Chinese logging companies, European logging companies (Danzer, Rougier), hydro-investors, mining investors, Olam (cocoa)
Total area (ha)
178,000 km² of avoided degradation or habitat rehabilitation (if logging occurred) + impact also on periphery of core zones because of improved environmental governance.
Overall goal
Critically endangered: elephants; gorillas and chimpanzee.
Influence design of REDD+ programs in RoC and Cam, assist Gabon with program on green development, influence infrastructure & mine financing and establish funds and governance structures nationally with regional coordination to promote and invest in green development .
REDD in Cameroon and RoC: World Bank leading
GCF funding for Gabon: possible partnership with AFD
Government agencies in each country, + possibly role for COMIFAC / CEEAC.
- Ecological / Large mammal corridors in between TRIDOM's PA's are recognised and effectively protected and managed.
- Improved logging practices (RIL)
- Private sector contributes effectively to anti-poaching efforts
- Chollet dam impact minimised by influencing design, location and mitigation measures.
Expected impacts
Threats
Landscape approach
This is potentially the next big landscape program in Africa to test globally new approaches:
• First demonstration of a truly blended public/private green investment fund
• Exploring cross-border coordination on climate and SDG jurisdictional programs
• May allow for a test of jurisdictional certification
Commodities
Related Sector
To be completed
Global brands present
Lead institution
WWF Gabon (host of the TRIDOM program and office in charge for TRIDOM RoC) and WWF Cameroon.
Pauwel De Wachter
Budget
No answer chosen
Current sources of funding
Expected sources of funding
$100-400M
Government ownership, but long term leases as logging concessions
The most advanced mining projects is Sundance Resources’ Mbalam Nabeba project (CamIron, Congo Iron). CamIron’s need for a biodiversity lead to the set aside of 1600 km² of forest in the TRIDOM Cameroon interzone, while the Congo Iron EIA proposes a 2000 km² offset in the TRIDOM Congo Interzone. Note that Sundance Project is currently on hold (but could restart quickly as the project is ready for development).
Proposed priority programs or sectors
Map
TBC
Support needed
Paul Chatterton Nov 11, 2016
Here is the initial idea scoping undertaken by the Lab with the TRIDOM team of WWF Cameroon and Gabon. PWC provided support on financial structuring.
Reply 1
Peter Scheren Jan 6, 2017
A critical landscape for WWF in Africa and great potential as a testcase for an integrated landscape (finance) approach.
Reply 0
Deesha Chandra May 16, 2017
Status changed to Landscape Vision
Reply 0
Matt Spannagle Mar 28, 2018
Worth improving the sustainability of agriculture in adjacent areas of TRIDOM to reduce infiltration pressure.
Keen to join the clinic on April 25th...
Reply 3
Deesha Chandra Aug 29, 2019
The idea has been progressed to the next milestone.
Reply 0
Deesha Chandra Aug 29, 2019
The idea has been progressed to the next milestone.
Reply 0
Corinne Moser Apr 23, 2020
Rainforest Alliance Cameroon is interested in collaborating on local community participation and models for private sector engagement. We are engaging on cocoa, timber and forest products in community forests in the Mintom area.
Reply 0