Gabon paid to fight deforestation

Libreville - Gabon will become the first African country paid with international funds to preserve its forests in an effort to fight climate change, the United Nations said Sunday.Norway will provide Gabon, which is almost 90% covered by forest, with US$150 million to battle deforestation, according to the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), which the UN launched to bring together the region's nations with Western donors.The "historic" 10-year deal will be awarded to Gabon for "both reducing its greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and degradation, and absorptions of carbon dioxide by natural forests," CAFI said in a statement.The announcement came ahead of a major UN climate summit yesterday that secretary-general Antonio Guterres has called to ask countries to raise their greenhouse gas reduction targets.LeaderGabon has been a leader in Central Africa in preserving its rainforests, creating 13 national parks since 2000 that cover around 11% of the country.It has around 12% of the Congo Basin forest, the world's second-largest tropical rainforest, and is home to almost 60% of the surviving forest elephants in Africa, which CAFI said was "a key indicator of sound natural resource governance".A major scandal involving a huge haul of illegally logged kevazingo, a tropical hardwood, led to the vice president being sacked, and British-born environmental campaigner Lee White being appointed forestry minister. – Nampa/AFP

Gabon paid to fight deforestation

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