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	DR Congo potential as Environmental Powerhouse by UN Environment Programme Democratic Republic of Congo   With half of Africa"s forests and water resources and vast mineral reserves, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could become a powerhouse of African development provided multiple pressures on its natural resources are urgently addressed says the United Nations Environment Programme.   In its Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment of the DRC highlighting the global significance and extraordinary potential of the country"s natural and mineral resources.   The study warns of alarming environmental trends including increased deforestation, species depletion, heavy metal pollution and land degradation from mining, as well as a acute drinking water crisis which has left an estimated 51 million Congolese without access to potable water.   The outcomes of the two-year assessment highlights successful initiatives and identifies strategic opportunities to restore livelihoods, promote good governance and support the sustainability of the DRC"s post-conflict economic reconstruction, and reinforce ongoing peace consolidation.   The study"s good news is that most of the environmental degradation is not irreversible and there has been some progress in strengthening environmental governance.   For example, through steps such as regular anti-poaching patrols, the Congolese Wildlife Authority has secured the Virunga National Park, which at the peak of the DR"s crisis was losing the equivalent of 89 hectares of forest each day due to illegal fuelwood harvesting.   However, the country"s rapidly growing population of nearly 70 million people - most of whom directly depend on natural resources for their survival - and intense international competition for raw materials are adding to the multiple pressures on the DRC"s natural resource base.   The DRC has the highest level of biodiversity in Africa, yet 190 species are classified as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Elephants and mountain gorillas are among the species under threat.   Up to 1.7 million tonnes of bushmeat (mainly antelope, duiker, monkey and wild boar) are harvested annually from unregulated hunting and poaching, contributing to species depletion.   The DRC"s tropical rainforests extend over 1.55 million km2 and account for more than half of Africa"s forest resources - making them a critical global ecosystem service provider.   The DRC has the largest artisanal mining workforce in the world - around two million people - but a lack of controls have led to land degradation and pollution. Its untapped mineral reserves are of global importance.   Around 15 tonnes of mercury are used annually in the DRC"s artisanal gold mining operations, making it the second largest source of mercury emissions in Africa.   The Congo basin supports Africa"s largest inland fisheries with an estimated production potential of 520,000 tonnes per year. While at the national level this resource is under-exploited, there are many instances of serious over-fishing pressures at the local level.   The most alarming climate change-related issue is the vulnerability of rain-fed small-scale agriculture. For example, as of 2020, the duration of the rainy season in the drought-prone region of Katanga is expected to reduce from seven months to five months.   There is a remarkable rise of "people-based" social enterprises, most of which rely on natural resources. Yet with a fragile banking system and limited incentives to formalize transactions, the informal sector"s growth has become a critical structural problem as businesses can operate beyond environmental and labour laws.   As it is still emerging from a long period of State decline and protracted crisis, the provision of basic services, including energy and water supply, and environmental problems in urban centres remain key challenges for the DRC.   To support the DRC"s development challenges, the UNEP assessment recommends a doubling of aid as urgently needed, including an estimated US$200 million per annum for the environment.   Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said the assessment highlights strategic opportunities that can support the sustainability of the DRC"s post-conflict economic reconstruction and serve to accelerate peace consolidation efforts.   "This assessment confirms the DRC"s unique endowment of natural resources and how they can contribute to sustainable economic growth, but also reveals the legacy of using these resources in fuelling much of the conflict and human tragedy that has plagued its people for too long," he said.   "It is UNEP"s hope the assessment"s outcomes will galvanize action and greater support from the international community and help set the nation on a more sustainable course, capitalizing on the opportunities offered by a green economy in the DRC," the UNEP Executive Director said.   The assessment aims to support the creation of enabling conditions for a transition to a "green economy" in the DRC and promote a fundamental rethinking of the country"s "frontier" approach to the use of its natural resources.   Speaking at the launch, the Environment Minister, Mr José Endundo, said the government welcomed the assessment which sheds light on important issues and opportunities, including the potential of the carbon market and ecotourism as sources of large-scale financing.   "We know from this two-year joint study that the DRC"s vast mineral reserves are again the object of intense foreign competition and that this is placing great pressures on our forests, wildlife and water resources," Minister Endundo said.   "The REDD+ scheme in which the DRC is already engaged could potentially generate the necessary funding to address a wide range of development and environment challenges and we look to such mechanisms to support a sustainable recovery in the DRC," the Minister said.   Funded by the Government of Norway, the UNEP post-conflict environmental assessment covers all of DRC, not only conflict-affected areas, and provides 70 recommendations covering 15 sectors and 13 environmental degradation "hot spots".   Recommendations include: engaging in a "green economy" transition whereby sustainable reconstruction in the DRC includes capitalizing on the DRC"s emerging social economy to generate "green jobs" and other employment, including for former combatants.   Diversifying energy sources as a basis for restarting economic activity. The DRC has a hydropower potential of 100,000 megawatts - or 13% of the world"s hydropower potential - which could meet domestic needs and generate export revenue from the sale of electricity.   Overcoming the considerable environmental liabilities of a century of mining. - introducing a new, modern mining approach and introduce better environmental and occupational health standards.   Strengthening institutional capacities for disaster preparedness - such as epidemics, volcanic eruptions, floods and forest fires - including early warning systems.   More detailed surveying and mapping of natural resources and integrating the economic valuation of ecosystem services into all development planning.   The study includes input from more than 50 partners including NGOs, universities and the UN family. Visit the related web page
	Human Rights Impact Assessments by Rights & Democracy Canada - Quebec   The arrival of foreign investment in a community can be good news for the local population. Unfortunately, in many cases, the opposite can also be true: relations between communities and companies are sometimes difficult and popular consultation is often limited or nonexistent.   A growing number of stakeholders are concerned about the impact of foreign investment on local communities. They are concerned that human rights are not adequately taken into account. Various solutions, including human rights impact assessments have been proposed to remedy this problem.   Communities wanting to undertake their own human rights impact assessments require appropriate assessment tools. Rights & Democracy has therefore developed this guide to assist them and the civil society organizations they collaborate with. This assessment guide can also be used by other stakeholder groups, including business and government, who are interested in applying a community-based participatory approach to their work.   What is a human rights impact assessment?   A human rights impact assessment (HRIA) is a process to measure the gap between the human rights commitments of the state (human rights in principle) and the actual enjoyment of these rights by rights-holders (human rights in practice). By calling on the participation of all stakeholders involved in the investment project, the assessment seeks to identify the rights that are not respected, or indications that they might not be respected in the future, so that satisfactory solutions can be found.   What is the HRIA guide?   This guide is a step-by-step process that allows assessment teams to take stock of the positive and negative human rights impacts of an investment project. Throughout the steps outlined below, information and additional references are provided including reference documents on human rights, examples of research techniques, relevant websites, and details on where to find specific information.   To help create your case-specific assessment model, this guide offers a sampling of research questions with references to various indicators for each right (developed by other organizations).   Of course, every project is unique and each assessment pursues its own objectives. Consequently, each research team must adapt the questions and develop new ones to ensure that the final assessment report truly reflects the particular situation, the local context, the type of investment and the communities affected.   Who is the HRIA guide designed for?   This guide is designed primarily for communities and the civil society organizations they work with. The objective of the assessment guide is to assist these communities to document the human rights impacts of foreign investment projects as they are experienced by community members. This guide also encourages a more substantive engagement in the decision-making processes that affect the enjoyment of their rights.   It can be adapted and used by civil society organizations outside the community that accompany local groups in this process. The methodology is also suited to company-led processes that emphasize the participation of affected communities.   What is the human rights framework?   Working according to a human rights framework means observing and analyzing a situation based on the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and defined in several other treaties or instruments. A human rights framework is based on a certain number of principles:   Participation and access to information   Individuals have the right to be involved in the planning and implementation of decisions affecting their human rights and have the right to access the information they need for genuine participation.   Accountability and access to effective remedies   Duty bearers (governments) are accountable for implementation of their human rights commitments. Citizens must have access to effective remedies in the event their human rights are violated.   Non-discrimination and equality   All human beings are equal and no person should be subjected to discrimination. Special attention should be paid to any action that could lead to discrimination, especially against the most vulnerable groups.   Indivisibility of rights   All human rights, social, economic, cultural, civil and political, are indivisible, inter-related and interdependent.   What help does the HRIA guide provide?   A means to inform a large group of people about the situation and to formulate recommendations to the various stakeholders involved.   The assessment report will shed light on the enjoyment of certain rights in the community. By producing and distributing the report, a wide audience is reached and the community"s concerns are communicated to competent authorities and company representatives.   Tools to build community capacity.   This assessment guide is designed to assist community associations and other groups to increase their understanding about human rights and the rules governing foreign investment. The guide provides a large amount of explanatory and background information and it includes a "virtual library" that compiles hundreds of useful resource materials.   A basis for future interaction with the government or the company.   The assessment process, final report, and recommendations provide an opportunity to engage in dialogue with the various people, agencies and organizations involved in the investment project.   In many cases, interaction with these stakeholders during the investigation process will continue after the assessment has been completed.   The limitations of a human rights impact assessment   It is important to keep in mind that the project could raise expectations on the part of local populations. You must therefore be clear from the beginning about what this initiative can and cannot accomplish.   Conducting a human rights impact assessment does not necessarily mean that conditions will improve overnight. Ways to ensure that the report and its findings do not fall by the wayside include: distribute the report widely among the major stakeholders; engage in dialogue with company representatives; submit the report to various local, national or international authorities; organize training workshops with local communities.   * Visit the link below for more details. Visit the related web page
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