Tetra Tech is strengthening green market systems and community enterprises to improve livelihoods while reducing threats to biodiversity, carbon-rich forests, and peatlands.
The Republic of Congo (ROC) is home to one of the richest and most biologically important forest ecosystems on the planet. Approximately 66 percent of the country’s land area is covered by lowland tropical forests, much of which is made up of large tracts of undisturbed wilderness. Ecosystems and biodiversity in the country face the threats of forest clearance for small-scale agriculture, commercial logging, and extractive industries. To address these challenges, conservation efforts need to scale up alongside increased sustainable economic opportunities for communities whose livelihoods are forest dependent.
Benefits
- Establishing eight enterprises and/or private sector partnerships
- Linking 20 medium and small enterprises to incubator services
- Creating 5,000 informal sector jobs
- Training 8,000 people in sustainable natural resource management
The Conservation through Economic Empowerment in the Republic of Congo (CEERC) Activity is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Tetra Tech. The Activity is addressing these challenges through a market systems approach that helps to reduce threats to biodiversity and forests by:
- Developing and scaling up green business models
- Strengthening sustainable value chains that support community livelihoods
- Improving access to business support services and incubators for conservation enterprises
- Identifying and addressing gaps in the policy and regulatory framework for green market systems and target value chains
- Engaging private sector investment and partnerships for green enterprises, like ecotourism, community forestry, and conservation-friendly agriculture
- Promoting advocacy and dialogue to support the inclusion of women, indigenous peoples, and marginalized groups
The strength of CEERC is in its partnerships with local partners—including community groups, small and medium green enterprises, civil society, government, and the private sector. CEERC will strengthen green market systems that achieve sustainable economic, conservation, and social outcomes while contributing conservation-friendly development to ROC’s future.
Promoting sustainable, green enterprises and industries and reducing biodiversity threats
At a glance
Contract value
$15M
Client
U.S. Agency for International Development
Implementation period
2021–2026
Services
Environment, natural resource management, forest and biodiversity conservation
