USAID assists governments and local communities to work together to sustainably manage natural resources and make long-term plans for forest land use.

Central Africa Regional

Country Overview

The Congo Basin is the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. It holds spectacular and rare biodiversity and serves as a massive carbon sink for greenhouse gases. It is also the source of food, shelter and livelihoods for approximately 60 million people who live in the region.

The Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) is USAID’s largest land management program in Africa and an important effort to preserve the Congo Basin’s ecosystem. USAID assists governments and local communities to work together to sustainably manage natural resources and make long-term plans for forest land use.

CARPE currently operates in six countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. In these countries, a total of 12 designated areas are priorities given their ecological makeup and potential to impact animals, plants, and people alike.

CARPE is the major U.S. contribution to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. The partnership brings together member states, donor agencies, international organizations, NGOs, scientific institutions and private sector representatives. It currently has 48 members who share the commitment to enhance communication and coordination among the members and to create synergies between their respective projects, programs and policies.