scholarly journals The Emerging Threat of Extractives Sector to Intact Forest Landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hedley S. Grantham ◽  
Paolo Tibaldeschi ◽  
Pablo Izquierdo ◽  
Karen Mo ◽  
David J. Patterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Extractive Industries ◽  
Cumulative Impacts ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Mitigation Hierarchy ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Rich Countries

As demand for commodities increases globally, resource-rich countries are focal areas for industrial expansion. The extractives sector is driving unprecedented growth of infrastructure (e.g., roads, railways and pipelines) into sparsely populated regions, which contain some of the world’s remaining intact forests. Yet, the extent of the threat posed by an increased footprint of extractive industries is not well understood. Here we provide a novel global assessment of the potential threat posed to tropical Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs), continuous patches of forest that have no remotely sensed signs of human activity or forest fragmentation, from the extractives sector including mining, oil and gas projects, using one of the most extensive global spatial datasets on extractives concessions to date. We found ∼20% of the global tropical IFL estate is designated as extractive’s concessions, presenting an enormous threat to these forests. Oil and gas concessions overlap with 408,000 km2 of tropical IFLs (7.85% of total IFL area), with the biggest overlap in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Papua New Guinea. Mining concessions overlap with 589,000 km2 (11.33%) of tropical IFL area, mainly in Brazil and Democratic Republic of Congo. As the majority of concessions overlapping IFLs are currently at the exploration stages for all types of extractives, now is the time to plan for reducing the potential threat through strategies such as identifying “no go” areas and applying the mitigation hierarchy. Nations and investors should undertake regional strategic environmental assessments to reduce impacts, including potential indirect and cumulative impacts of multiple projects and other threats in the landscape. We also call for banks that funders of extractives projects to apply global best practice industry environmental safeguards that recognize the value of intact forests and the risk of cumulative impacts to these unique sites.

scholarly journals Operation “Artemis”: The First Autonomous EU-led Operation

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-132
Author(s):  
János Tomolya
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
European Security ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Autonomous Operation ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Operational Constraints ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Eu

In June 2003, the EU launched Operation “Artemis”, its first military mission outside Europe and independent of NATO, to the Democratic Republic of Congo. While it ultimately received an EU badge, its origin, command and control were French. The objective of Operation “Artemis” was to contribute to the stabilisation of the security conditions in Bunia, capital of Ituri, to improve the humanitarian situation, and to ensure the protection of displaced persons in the refugee camps in Bunia. Its mandate was to provide a short-term interim force for three months until the transition to the reinforced United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC – Mission de l’Organisation des Nations Unies en République Démocratique du Congo; English: United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Although the EU can be said to have passed the first “test” of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) mechanisms for the conduct of an autonomous operation, this test was a limited one. Operational constraints were caused by inadequate strategic lift capabilities and the lack of a strategic reserve.

scholarly journals The changing epidemiology of human monkeypox - a potential threat? A systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eveline Bunge ◽  
Bernard Hoet ◽  
Liddy Chen ◽  
Florian Lienert ◽  
Heinz Weidenthaler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
West African ◽  
Smallpox Vaccination ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

Monkeypox, a zoonotic disease caused by an orthopoxvirus, results in a smallpox-like disease in humans. Since monkeypox in humans was initially diagnosed in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it has spread to other regions of Africa (primarily West and Central), and cases outside Africa have emerged in recent years. We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature on how monkeypox epidemiology has evolved, with particular emphasis on the number of confirmed, probable, and/or possible cases, age at presentation, mortality, and geographical spread. The review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020208269). We identified 48 peer-reviewed articles and 18 grey literature sources for data extraction. The number of human monkeypox cases has been on the rise since the 1970s, with the most dramatic increases occurring in the DRC. The median age at presentation has increased from 4 (1970s) to 21 years (2010-2019). There was an overall case fatality rate of 8.7%, with a significant difference between clades - Central African 10.6% (95% CI: 8.4% - 13.3%) vs. West African 3.6% (95% CI: 1.7% - 6.8%). Since 2003, import- and travel-related spread outside of Africa has occasionally resulted in outbreaks. Interactions/activities with infected animals or individuals are risk behaviors associated with acquiring monkeypox. Our review shows an escalation of monkeypox cases, especially in the highly endemic DRC, a spread to other countries, and a growing median age from young children to young adults. These findings may be related to the cessation of smallpox vaccination, which provided some cross-protection against monkeypox, leading to increased human-to-human transmission. The appearance of outbreaks beyond Africa highlights the global relevance of the disease. Increased surveillance and detection of monkeypox cases are essential tools for understanding the continuously changing epidemiology of this resurging disease.

scholarly journals Who is Responsible for Instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

2014 ◽  
pp. 29-36
Author(s):  
G. M. Sidorova
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Armed Groups ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

The research focuses on the problem of military-political instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo experiencing continued armed conflict for a long time. Dozens of illegal armed groups both Congolese and foreign origin continue to destabilize situation in the eastern part of the country causing humanitarian disasters. Due to governmental weakness, economic backwardness, chronical lack of finance resources, interethnic conflicts, all-round and widely spread corruption of the authorities, the Congolese government at the moment is not able to overcome scores of problems including the problem of security. Assistanceprovided to the DRC by itspartnerssuch as, first of all, the former metropolitan country Belgium, as well as the USA, Great Britain, the Europe Union and China works only in favourof these country-donors. They are attracted by rich Congolese natural resources which the DRC remaining one of the poorest countries in the world cannot turn to advantage to the full extent because of its economic backwardness. In exchange for so-calleddevelopment programmes, expensive strategic raw material (such as coltan, wolfram, casseterit, cooper, gold, niobium, and other) is being extracted and exported from the country, in addition, often on the inequivalent basis. This is taking place for the reason that numerous mines and open-cast mines are being controlled by different illegal armed groups and not by the central government. Therefore, it turns out that in the context of a military-political crisis, for so-called partners it is more beneficial to pursue their own interests. Furthermore, western ideologists arouse "separatism-oriented" theories similar to "balkanization", in other words, a breakdown of this giant country into several independent states. The Congolese are tremulous to this issue, they try to counter such approachs and defend the territorial integrity of the DRC. However, it is not an easy task. The impediment is unsettled relations with neighbouring countries - Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi which for tens of years exploit illegally natural resources of the DRC and try to lay hold of frontier Congolese territories.

Successes and Failures in Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo

2019 ◽  
pp. 132-168
Author(s):  
Lisa Hultman ◽  
Jacob D. Kathman ◽  
Megan Shannon
Keyword(s):  
Cote D'ivoire ◽  
Côte D’Ivoire ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Cote D’Ivoire ◽  
Violence Reduction ◽  
Côte D'ivoire ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Peacekeeping Missions

This chapter explores two conflicts and their related UN missions: Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC and MONUSCO). The chapter conducts qualitative analyses of these missions to explore the effect peacekeeping capacity and constitution on civil war violence, noting the UN’s ability to engage in mechanisms of violence reduction. The conflicts are not two cases of obvious peacekeeping success, and there are clear instances of failure in both UN efforts. However, in many situations, the missions were more effective when capacity and constitution improved, indicating that relative effectiveness increases as UN missions are sufficiently outfitted. The chapter complements the quantitative analyses by highlighting the limits of the theory and the challenges to peacekeeping missions in the midst of war.

III. Case Concerning the Arrest Warrant of April 00 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Belgium)

2001 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 670-675
Author(s):  
Malcolm D. Evans ◽  
Chanaka Wickremasinghe
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Foreign Minister ◽  
Crimes Against Humanity ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
National Courts ◽  
Geneva Conventions ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Sensitive Issues

An initiating Application filed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) against Belgium on 17 October 20001 potentially raises similar issues to those raised by the Pinochet case,2 namely the scope of “universal” jurisdiction in relation to serious international crimes against individuals (in this case “grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1977 Protocols thereto and crimes against humanity”) and the question of immunity where State officials (in this case a Foreign Minister) are accused thereof. As such it may represent an opportunity for the Court to give an authoritative ruling on these highly controversial and sensitive issues of international law, which seem to be raised with increasingly regularity before national courts. However for now such a ruling is a matter for the future, as on 8 December 2000 the Court dismissed the DRC application for provisional measures, and thus made no comment on the substantive issues of the case. Instead it found that certain intervening factual developments had removed from the application for provisional measures the requisite elements of irreparable prejudice to the rights of the applicant and urgency, thus obviating any need for an Order to be made at this stage.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Pandemic: Knowledge and Attitudes in Public Markets in the Former Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 7441
Author(s):  
Trésor Carsi Kuhangana ◽  
Caleb Kamanda Mbayo ◽  
Joseph Pyana Kitenge ◽  
Arlène Kazadi Ngoy ◽  
Taty Muta Musambo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public Markets ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Republic Of The Congo

Background. Public markets were exempted from the restrictive regulations instituted to limit the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the early stage of the pandemic, we assessed people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavior on public markets towards COVID-19. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study from 16 to 29 April 2020 among sellers and customers frequenting the food sections of ten public markets in three large cities (Kolwezi, Likasi, and Lubumbashi) and one small town (Lwambo) of the former Katanga province. We administered a questionnaire on knowledge (about clinical characteristics, transmission and prevention) and on attitudes in relation to COVID-19. We also observed prevailing practices (hand-washing and mask-wearing). Results: Of the 347 included participants (83% women, 83% sellers), most had low socioeconomic status and a low level of education. Only 30% of participants had correct knowledge of COVID-19. The majority of the respondents (88%) showed no confidence in the government’s ability to manage the upcoming pandemic crisis. Nearly all respondents (98%) were concerned about the associated increase in food insecurity. Preventive practices were rarely in place. Conclusion: For an effective implementation of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Africa, appropriate health education programs to improve knowledge and attitudes are warranted among the population frequenting public markets.

scholarly journals Social Perceptions of Forest Ecosystem Services in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Human Ecology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 839-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida Cuni-Sanchez ◽  
Gerard Imani ◽  
Franklin Bulonvu ◽  
Rodrigue Batumike ◽  
Grace Baruka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Social Perceptions ◽  
Hunter Gatherers ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Services ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Bush Meat

AbstractThe forests of the Albertine Rift are known for their high biodiversity and the important ecosystem services they provide to millions of inhabitants. However, their conservation and the maintenance of ecosystem service delivery is a challenge, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our research investigates how livelihood strategy and ethnicity affects local perceptions of forest ecosystem services. We collected data through 25 focus-group discussions in villages from distinct ethnic groups, including farmers (Tembo, Shi, and Nyindu) and hunter-gatherers (Twa). Twa identify more food-provisioning services and rank bush meat and honey as the most important. They also show stronger place attachment to the forest than the farmers, who value other ecosystem services, but all rank microclimate regulation as the most important. Our findings help assess ecosystem services trade-offs, highlight the important impacts of restricted access to forests resources for Twa, and point to the need for developing alternative livelihood strategies for these communities.

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