Forest reform in the DRC: how the World Bank is failing to learn the lessons from Cameroon

The World Bank is presenting its DRC forest sector reform as a means of promoting sustainable forest management, increasing state revenue and - above all - helping to alleviate poverty. A new forest code was adopted in 2002 and related implementation decrees are now also gradually being adopted.Greenpeace is warning that the international community and the DRC government are far too optimistic about the expected results of this reform. A World Bank-led forest sector reform very similar to the one now being pushed through in the DRC was introduced in Cameroon more than 10 years ago and from an environmental Forest reform in the DRC: how the World Bank is failing to learn the lessons from Cameroon and development perspective it has been a major disappointment. Now is the time to learn from the Cameroon experience, rather than to repeat the same mistakes in the DRC.