Congo Plans To Increase Logging - At World Bank's Urging - BBC

[hatrack]

"The country's government, currently $4.9 billion in debt, has been placing greater emphasis on the growth of the timber industry in the Congo Basin, which has the world's second largest stretches of virgin rainforest after the Amazon in South America.

The logging policy has been encouraged by the World Bank - which makes its loans to the government conditional on the forest being opened up - but conservation groups are worried that the bidding process is far from transparent.

"Lack of transparency is a major reason for concern in the Congolese forestry sector," Filip Verbelen, a forest campaigner for Greenpeace, told BBC World Service's Focus On Africa magazine. "Logging concessions are often allocated via discretionary procedures rather than a public bidding process. This leaves the door open for negotiations between private companies and government officials."

EDIT

Certainly, trees valuable to the Ba'aka for their fruits, oil, medicinal bark and for the construction of pirogues are rapidly disappearing under the loggers' saws. For example, the Sapelli, an African mahogany, is one of the most highly-prized trees on the world timber market - and it is also host to a species of caterpillar, an essential food source, that emerge towards the end of the rainy season when hunting and fishing is limited. A sack of smoked caterpillars can sell for up to $100, and just one tree can provide up to five sacks per year. This money remains in the local economy, whereas a large proportion of the money from logging leaves the country. But such income generating practices are disappearing with intensive logging."

EDIT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3937829.stm

[nickinSTL]

1. I'm sure some will think I'm incredibly slow...

But I'm beginning to think the World Bank is evil.

[ret5hd]

2. i dont care if you are slow...

as long as you come to the right conclusions when you get there...

it sounds like you are.