**The Landscape Program for Our Future: CIFOR-ICRAF in Yangambi in the Democratic Republic of Congo**
In the heart of the Tshopo province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the landscape of Yangambi is being transformed by the Landscape for Our Future Program, implemented by the Center for International Forestry Research and the International Center for Agroforestry Research (CIFOR). -ICRAF). Funded by the European Union since 2007, this innovative project aims to reconcile local development and the preservation of forest ecosystems.
The initiative is based on integrated approaches such as sustainable forestry and agroforestry, to combat deforestation and land degradation. The results are already palpable, with the restoration of 3,500 hectares of degraded land, and the improvement of the living conditions of local populations at the center of concerns.
Researcher Raphaël Tsanga testifies to the positive impact of the program, emphasizing that the synergy between the population, technical and scientific partners, provincial and central authorities is essential to achieve the objectives set. Through initiatives such as training students in sustainable forest management, tree planting, the creation of community forests and the protection of endangered species, the project contributes to job creation and local development.
One of the flagship actions of the Landscape For Our Future Program is the supply of charcoal from community forests to the city of Kisangani, making it possible to reduce pressure on the primary forest. At the same time, actions are being carried out to support communities in agriculture, reforestation, the development of alternative income-generating activities such as beekeeping, as well as in the establishment of value chains in various sectors.
A remarkable initiative is the installation of a flow tower in the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve, unique in the Congo Basin. This 55-meter infrastructure makes it possible to measure the exchange of greenhouse gases between the forest and the atmosphere, providing valuable data for research and the preservation of ecosystems.
In short, the Landscape Program for Our Future in Yangambi embodies an innovative and holistic approach to the management of forest resources, combining environmental preservation, local development and the promotion of traditional knowledge. A real success which demonstrates the importance of collective commitment for a sustainable and balanced future.
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