Congo

National Focal Point

• Ministere du Tourisme et de L’environnement (Ministry of Tourism and the Environment)

National Strategic Documents and Timeframe

• NDC: 2015 – 2025
• National Action Plan for the Environment (PNAE)
• National Strategy and Action Plan for Climate Change and Variability (SNPA / CCV, 2004)
• National Development Plan 2012-2016
• Strategy Paper for Growth, Employment and Poverty Reduction
• National Strategy for Sustainable Development
• National Strategy and Action Plan for the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Priorities and Needs

The NDC sets out that climate change poses a threat to society, the economy and the Congolese environment. Extreme weather events, rising sea level, the average global temperature increase and unpredictable rainfall patterns have effects on the livelihoods of the population. Accordingly, the changing climatic conditions jeopardise the achievement of medium and long-term development goals, with extreme consequences for the most vulnerable social groups. The most vulnerable sectors are identified as: hydrology and water resources, energy, agriculture, forestry and health.

Current and Planned Adaptation Efforts

The NDC sets out the ultimate objectives of the Republic of Congo in terms of adaptation to climate change:

• Protection of populations through a preventative approach to risk management, particularly in the most threatened areas, based on a system of observation and research to better understand current and future climate risks
• Protection of national heritage, biodiversity, forestry and fishery resources through an adaptive approach rooted in ecosystem protection
• Protection of sensitive production systems to climate change, such as agriculture
• Protection of high-risk infrastructure systems
• Protection of the intangible heritage of the Republic of Congo
• The transfer of climate technologies

Synergies with Disaster Risk Reduction Efforts

The adaptation objectives set out in the NDC have synergies with disaster risk reduction efforts. For example, included in the objectives for adaptation for the Republic of Congo is population protection through a preventative approach to risk management, particularly in the most threatened areas. This is based on a system of observation of the coastal and marine environment and research to better understand the current climate risks and future. The adaptation strategy includes protecting particularly exposed coastline by physical barriers.

Requirements for Additional Planning, Financial and Technical Capacities

The NDC provides that the protection objectives necessary for adaptation to climate change will require: a necessary assessment of technological needs at the level of the priority sectors; training and support for the appropriation of climate technologies; transfer of adapted technologies; incentives for agriculture in savannah areas. Further, it notes that the Republic of the Congo wishes for assistance from the international community in financing the technical assistance needed to achieve these objectives.

The NDC states that the investments and costs for both mitigation and adaptation measures required by the international community would amount to €5.14 billion for the period 2015 – 2025.