Even though adaptation is gaining importance in the international climate change arena, national policies and projects in developing countries are still in their very early stages, partly because of the complexity of adaptation. In addition, forests and forest peoples are not adequately considered in adaptation debates and policies.
Moreover, even if it is acknowledged that the forest sector offers opportunities for synergies between adaptation and mitigation, there is not much experience and knowledge to confirm it.
To fill this gap, CIFOR initiated the project ‘Climate Change and Forests in the Congo Basin: Synergies between adaptation and mitigation’ (COBAM) in 2010. The research project is funded by the African Development Bank, in support of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), through the framework of the Congo Basin Ecosystems Conservation Support Programme (PACEBCo). The project aims to conduct research on synergies and trade-offs between mitigation and adaptation in the forestry sector, in order to provide decision makers with the information and knowledge needed to formulate policies and projects that can effectively address climate change.