Mapping Potential Biodiversity Benefits from REDD+: The Democratic Republic of the Congo

This analytical report presents selected results of spatial analyses to explore biodiversity benefits and risks from REDD+ in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The findings confirm that there is great potential in the country. Areas that store large amounts of biomass carbon overlap with areas of importance for biodiversity. Furthermore, the overlay analyses of existing land designations and biomass carbon highlight the need for the effective and sustainable management of designated areas in order to reduce environmental harm and secure the valuable assets they contain. These spatial analyses can help ensure that REDD+ implementation realizes multiple benefits by supporting the application of national-level social and environmental standards, informing the development of REDD+ scenarios, and by communicating the potential for multiple benefits from REDD+.