The Goma region is the most densely populated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a situation exacerbated by tragic events of the past 15 years. Forest resources, already stretched, are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the local population. This led to a significant increase in the cost of wood charcoal and a dependence on the supply of illegal and unsustainable logging of the forests of Virunga National Park (PNVi). The PNVi is the oldest park in Africa as well as the richest in biodiversity, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has suffered from an alarming rate of deforestation over the last years.
  
The main reasons for which farmers and owners currently do not invest in plantations are:

• Insecurity: one is not guaranteed of being able to harvest what is planted;
• Lack of investment capital: a Eucalyptus plantation takes three years before it generates the first revenues;
• Lack of know-how.

The estimated needs of Goma city in wood energy under the present conditions represent about 476 000m3 per year which corresponds to approximately 20 000 to 25 000 hectares of well managed eucalyptus plantations. The community reforestation project EcoMakala (from the Kiswahili word “Makala”, meaning charcoal) has the objective of creating at least 4 000 to 5 000 ha of plantations in five years. The project is therefore not trying to meet the energy needs of Goma by itself, but to address the reasons for which reforestation is currently not taking place and in particular to demonstrate that, with the help of revenues from CDM, forestry activity is economically attractive for the private sector, that it is accessible to relatively small-scale farmers (with initial assistance), as well as to disseminate the know-how among organisations and the local population. The project thus aims to create an independent dynamic due to the inherent economic interest in the activity in the region. Moreover, the EcoMakala project operates jointly with an ambitious project for the dissemination of improved stoves in Goma in order to reduce the demand for wood fuel.

Although limited collaboration with large-scale land owners is planned, the project will give priority to small-scale farmers who dispose of up to a few hectares of land that is to be reforested. This is in order to have a strong impact on the fight against poverty and on local development. The project has a two-fold objective of both social and environmental development: avoided deforestation and biodiversity conservation.