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The first payment is part of the breakthrough agreement between听Gabon and the multi-donor UN-hosted Central African Forest Initiative鈥檚 (CAFI) in 2019 for a total of听$150 million听over ten years.听听

After independent experts verified Gabon's results from reduced deforestation and forest degradation (mainly from forestry activities),听the payment of $17 million US dollars rewards Gabon's reductions in 2016 and 2017, compared to annual emission levels from 2006 to 2015.

At a high-level event organised on Tuesday, Sveinung Rotevatn, Norway鈥檚 Minister of Climate and Environment said on behalf of CAFI: "This is the first time an African country has been rewarded for reducing forest-related emissions at the national level.听 It is extremely important that Gabon has taken this first step. The country has demonstrated that with strong vision, dedication and drive, emissions reductions can be achieved in the Congo Basin Forest.鈥�

Gabon is leading the way in maintaining its status of听High Forest Cover Low Deforestation (HFLD)听country. The country鈥檚 forest management approach is science-based and robust. Despite low historical rates of deforestation and forest degradation, Gabon has been able to reduce CO2 emissions even further.

Being a low deforestation country means, however, that Gabon鈥檚 potential to reduce emissions is even more limited. Therefore, new mechanisms such as听听are underway as incentives for HFLD countries to maintain low deforestation rates.

Gabon鈥檚 Minister of Water and Forests, the Seas, the Environment, charged with Climate Change and Land Use Planning, Professor Lee White said: 鈥淭his first payment of ODA financing, which is proportional to our historic emissions reductions in 2016 and 2017 at $5/ton, will finance projects that preserve Gabon鈥檚 forests. It also paves the way for Gabon to finalize the systems that will be required to enable the country to formally sell carbon credits in the future.鈥�

鈥淐AFI鈥檚 recognition of our systems and data is particularly encouraging in that they are a global reference on REDD+ payments. We are working with partners to develop payments mechanisms that will enable us to stabilize forests and reverse deforestation and forest degradation in HFLD countries, rather than simply slowing (=reducing) deforestation,鈥� Prof White added.

Gabon and CAFI have agreed that this first payment will go towards activities that further decrease CO2 emissions through investments into听community forestry, scientific research, forest management practices, protected areas system and government capacity, and that further enhance the income, livelihoods, and wellbeing of communities in Gabon.

Gabon has preserved much of its pristine rainforest since the early 2000s in creating听13 national parks, one of which is listed UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its forests absorb a total of听140 million tons of CO2听every year, the equivalent of removing 30 million cars from the road globally.

Gabon has also made significant advances in sustainable management of its timber resources outside the parks, with an ambition to ensure that all forest concessions are FSC-certified. Forest spans over 88% of its territory, and deforestation rates have been consistently low (less than 0.08%) since 1990.

Gabon鈥檚 forests house pristine wildlife and megafauna including 60% of the remaining forest elephants, sometimes called the 鈥渁rchitects鈥� or 鈥済ardeners鈥� of the forest for their roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems and recently listed as critically endangered.