The Observatory for the Forests of Central Africa (OFAC), an initiative of multiple members of the Congo Basin Forests Partnership (CBFP), aims to pool the knowledge and available data necessary to monitor the ecological, environmental, and social aspects of Central Africa's forests. Its creation follows the formidable information sharing effort that led to the 2006 State of the Forest Report.
Objectives
The establishment of OFAC corresponds to one of the axes in COMIFAC's ‘Plan de Convergence'. It will provide COMIFAC and other CBFP members a powerful steering and data sharing tool to promote better governance and the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. Specific objectives are:
- the promotion of sustainable forest management of African dense humid forests;
- the struggle against illegal logging;
- the conservation and rational use of biodiversity;
- the improvement of forest governance;
- the respect of international environmental agreements
- the strengthening of scientific and institutional capacities of States and Non-state actors
Structure of the Observatory
The approach adopted for the creation of OFAC, which relies on human resources in the region, makes the development of OFAC a true exercise in capacity building at both the national and regional level.
The principal data providers will be COMIFAC and its institutional partners (e.g. RAPAC), the ministries responsible for forest management and the environment, the private sector, protected areas management, forest management, NGOs, international projects, research institutions, universities, etc.
Within the Observatory, the FORAF project plays the role of facilitator for the collection, harmonistaion and dissemination of information.
