Congo Basin Peatlands and Carbon — 2026-09-12

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has adopted its first-ever National Forest Policy, introducing significant legal protections for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Concurrently, Indigenous groups near major national parks are proposing new conservation models that integrate land rights with poverty reduction, signaling a shift toward community-led stewardship in the region.

DRC Adopts First National Forest Policy Protecting Indigenous Rights

Top developments

DRC Enacts First National Forest Policy

On September 9, 2026, the Democratic Republic of the Congo officially adopted its first-ever National Forest Policy. This landmark legislation outlines the government’s vision for forest governance over the next decade and introduces specific measures to strengthen the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. For the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, this policy provides a stronger legal framework for community forest rights, potentially offering a buffer against industrial concessions that threaten carbon stocks.

Indigenous Communities Propose New Conservation Models

In early September 2026, Indigenous peoples living near the Maiko, Salonga, Kahuzi-Biega, and Virunga National Parks proposed diverse solutions for the future of conservation in eastern Congo. These proposals explicitly link forest conservation with land rights, employment, and poverty reduction, challenging traditional "fortress conservation" models. This grassroots movement is critical for the broader Congo Basin strategy, as it demonstrates that sustainable management of carbon-rich ecosystems requires securing local livelihoods first.

Recognition of Indigenous Stewardship Expands

The Forest Peoples Programme highlighted the role of Indigenous Peoples in sustainable resource management across the Congo Basin on September 10, 2026. The report emphasizes that Indigenous communities have developed diverse, time-tested methods for protecting forests, including ritualistic and practical resource management. Recognizing these roles is essential for validating community forest titles, which are increasingly seen as a primary defense against encroachment by logging and mining interests.

Local view

Local stakeholders and international observers are closely monitoring the implementation of the new National Forest Policy. The Rainforest Foundation UK notes that while the policy adoption is a victory for civil society coalitions who campaigned for lasting protection of the Congo Basin, the challenge now lies in enforcement against powerful economic interests. Meanwhile, local media coverage highlights the urgency of these measures as Indigenous Twa communities continue to face displacement from their ancestral lands in North Kivu, underscoring the disconnect between high-level policy and ground-level reality.

Context & numbers

• Carbon Storage: The central Congo Basin peatlands store approximately 29.0 PgC (petagrams of carbon), representing 36% of the world’s tropical peatland area.
• Community Land Titles: In Tshopo province alone, over 1 million hectares of forest were brought under the legal stewardship of local Indigenous peoples by May 2026, following the granting of 31 community forest land titles.
• Funding Landscape: While over $3 billion in fresh financing was secured for the Congo Basin in May 2026, experts continue to warn that global forest finance remains insufficient relative to the scale of deforestation risks and carbon storage value.

On the radar

• Implementation Decrees: Watch for the publication of specific implementation decrees for the new National Forest Policy, which will define how community rights are legally enforced against mining and logging concessions.
• Oil Block Tender Updates: Although the 2024 auction was cancelled, the DRC government has signaled intentions to prepare a new project. Any announcement regarding a revised tender for blocks overlapping the Cuvette Centrale remains a critical risk factor for peatland integrity.