World Bank Invests $1.02 Billion to Transform Congo Basin Forest Economy

The World Bank Group has approved the Sustainable Congo Basin Forest Economies Program (SCBFEP), a multi-phase initiative designed to transform forest economies in Central Africa. The program aims to move beyond a conservation-only strategy by establishing economic conditions that make forest stewardship sustainable, targeting the 60 million people living in and around the Congo Basin.

The total multi-phase program is valued at $1.02 billion. The first phase, funded by the International Development Association (IDA), consists of a $394.83 million operation. This initial stage will focus on improving forest management and strengthening forest value chains across three participating countries: the Republic of Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), and the Republic of Congo (RoC).

Economic and Environmental Objectives

The SCBFEP is designed to unlock economic, climate, and livelihood benefits from the world’s second-largest tropical forest biome. A primary goal of the first phase is the creation of 220,000 jobs across the three involved nations. The program specifically targets marginalized communities, indigenous peoples, and forest-dependent populations to ensure they are integrated into the regional growth.

Environmental targets for the initial phase include placing nearly 8 million hectares under sustainable management. These efforts are expected to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 17.6 million tCO2e. The program aims to increase the share of legally processed wood by 15%.

Support for SMEs and Entrepreneurship

To build a sustainable economic infrastructure, the program will support community forest enterprises, agroforestry systems, and SME processing zones. The World Bank initiative will provide training, finance, and value chain infrastructure to more than 500 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Approximately 20,000 people will receive this support, with women comprising 40% of the beneficiaries. The program includes a dedicated focus on youth, with plans to support over 7,000 young people in entering entrepreneurship.

Regional Coordination and Governance

The initiative emphasizes a regional approach to coordinate investments across Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo. To harmonize policies and strengthen cross-border governance, the program will leverage existing regional institutions, including:

• The Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC)
• The Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC)

By improving regional collaboration, the program intends to raise wood trade standards and create a shared platform for management and learning across the Congo Basin.

This strategic investment follows previous World Bank reporting from October 2025, which highlighted the immense untapped value of the Congo Basin forests, noting that the value of forest ecosystem services rose from $590 billion in 2000 to $1.15 trillion over two decades.