Sustaining Forest Plantations for the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Located in the hearth of Africa, the Congo basin is the world’s second largest rainforest ecosystem, spanning over nine countries including the Republic of the Congo. Nature-based solutions, i.e., afforestation, reforestation or agroforestry supplying wood energy, halting food insecurity, restoring land desertification and fostering mitigation and adaptation to climate warming, have been increasingly used in the past decades. Within this framework, Congolese coastal plains have been afforested using fast growing trees since the early 1950s. Due to the low forest productivity and soil fertility, sustainable management of these forest ecosystems (trees, soils and environment) have been performed. Improved germplasms, increased stand wood biomass and healthier soils have the potential to enhance wood and fuel wood energy supply, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, food security, restoration of land and ecosystem biodiversity. This meets ten out of the seventeen sustainable development goals (SDG #), specifically goals related to alleviating poverty (1) and hunger (2), improving health (3), education (4), sanitation and access to clean water (6). Other goals include providing affordable clean energy (7), sustainable production and consumption (12), action on climate change (13), life on land (15), and partnerships for goals (17). Nature-based solutions help to face important societal challenges meeting more than half of SDGs of the United Nations.