Themes
The book ‘Central African Forests Forever’ addresses the following themes:
- Forests – Overview of forest ecosystem services, values and benefits.
Forests are sources of water. Best practices of forest conservation and sustainable forest management. Agro-forestry. Analog forestry. Reforestation. - Rights to lands and natural resources, community development and poverty alleviation – These are key aspects for the conservation of nature. Education, job creation in forests. Equitable benefit sharing.
- Agriculture – Innovation in agriculture is one of the main solutions to reduce conversion of forests. Agro-ecology.
- Biodiversity – The beauty of biodiversity. The importance of protecting biodiversity to keep forest ecosystems healthy. The great apes gorilla, chimpanzee and bonobo. Elephants. Birds. Other animals. Medicinal plants. Amazing biodiversity facts.
- Climate – How forest conservation and sustainable forest management contribute to both reduction of and resilience against climate change. Impacts of deforestation on climate. REDD+.
- Energy – Alternatives for cooking with fuel wood and charcoal from natural forests. Biodiversity-friendly generation of hydro-electric power. Opportunities for renewable energy, especially sun energy.
- Gender, women empowerment
- Transparency and legality – Opportunities and solutions to reduce illegal logging.
- Poaching of wildlife – Solutions.
The book will also address:
- Environmental justice – Sustainable and conflict-free mining to minimize impact on biodiversity and water.
- Cultural values – The place of forests in cultural values and mindsets of people in Central Africa at all levels.
- Ecotourism – Best practices. Standards in sustainability.
- Infrastructure – Smart planning of roads to minimize impact on rich ecosystems.
- Instruments. Product certification, Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), True Price: measuring and valuing ecological and social impacts of the production of products. Green taxation.
- Information technology – Geographical Information Management Systems. Assessment and communication tools. Apps on smartphones.