Regional countries need sustainable measures to reduce pressure on forests. In an interview with Saturday Times’s Michel Nkurunziza, Rene Ngongo, a Congolese environmentalist and activist, who in 2009 received a ‘Right Livelihood Award’  known as ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’ from The Swedish Right Livelihood Award Foundation for his advocacy and protection efforts of rain forests in DR Congo, said without proper mechanisms forested areas face a lot of threats due to encroachment.

Ngongo is member of social-economic council of DR Congo and president of its commission of environment and natural resources which advises government on right decisions. He is also currently the vice president of OCEAN, an NGO charged with protecting natural resources and was in the country earlier this week.

What is your mission in Rwanda?

I intended to meet other environmentalists in the region, including those involved in conservation of Virunga landscape to share experiences on current environment protection efforts, especially forests. I met, for example, a colleague who has an interesting project of ‘solar ovens’ he wants to introduce in Rwanda to be able to use solar energy in cooking. I picked interest in it as an activist, seeing it as an avenue to address deforestation.

I met officials from the Ministries of Natural Resources and Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs since conflicts and resulting refugees crisis in the region pose threats to forests through mass exploitation.

Members of social, economic council want to get experience on how natural resources like Amazon forest are protected. We are also interested in learning about methane gas exploitation in Lake Kivu since gas can pose a threat to population if not extracted well. It is a learning opportunity.

What is your view of Rwanda as far as environment is concerned?

I appreciate Rwanda’s performance in environment conservation and its reforestation efforts are appreciable. Natural resources conservation in ecotourism and gorilla conservation are also commendable.

Congolese who were in Kigali for African Nations Championships were amazed by cleanliness and greenery of Kigali compared to the rest of Africa. Rwanda has done wonders in ensuring hygiene in the city even from my observation when I compare with other cities like in South Africa, Egypt which I have visited.

This should be a model to other cities in Africa.

I participated in Paris Climate Change summit that adopted an agreement to reduce gas emissions leading to climate change; where I met Rwandan delegation. With that common message to reduce pollutant gases, Rwanda is already on track to reduce such emissions like other Congo Basin countries, where the main threat is deforestation caused by wood cutting.

Use of solar ovens should be promoted in refugee camps, military camps, at schools where firewood is most used to stop mass deforestation. The solar oven is a project I wish to replicate in DR Congo.

What is the state of deforestation in DR Congo?

The main cause of deforestation in DR Congo is agriculture and energy needs that have led to thousands of hectares of forests being cut. Others are industrial and craft exploitation, the reason there is now a programme to engage enterprises in combating illegal exploitation of natural resources. 

With rain seasons changing, agriculture is the most vulnerable, and therefore there is need to introduce varieties that can resist those changes to maintain agriculture production.

DR Congo has pledged under the adopted Cop21 agreement to reduce gas emissions by 17 per cent by 2030 through reforestation of eight million hectares of land.

What contributed to your win of Alternative Nobel Prize?

I have worked in environment for 30 years advocating for protection of forest due to their value and socio-economic impact. I campaigned against illegal exploitation of natural resources, we promoted agro-forestry, among others.

I played a role in founding OCEAN, an NGO charged with protecting natural resources and forests. I tried to work with different international organisations to draw public attention to protection of Congo Basin forests. It is from these efforts that I was recognised.

What do you see as main threats to forest conservation in the region?

Armed groups that still pose major challenges that derail current efforts to protect forests. I have published an opinion article showing the vulnerability of unprotected areas like parks.

The presence of armed groups on a territory in the regional countries hampers forests management efforts. You cannot manage forests in an area you don’t control as government. Also, countries have natural potentias of getting tourists yet insecurity becomes a stumbling block to promoting tourism.

Armed groups are involved in illegal exploitation of natural resources in uncontrolled manner. A case in point is DR Congo that is losing a lot of resources from illegal exploitation. There is need for concerted efforts to disarm armed groups.

After COP21 as an activist, you still need to do more, what is that?

In Africa, we emit green house gases not from factories but mainly through deforestation. I am continuing with campaign, for example, against firewood use. Alternative energy solutions should be promoted in camps and households.

No more trees would be cut. What is needed is to change attitude from what they are used to and embrace environment friendly alternatives.

Finally, all projects must be dedicated to poverty reduction in communities. You can’t talk about environment protection if people are still in poverty. We should base our environment studies with social impact assessment. 

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