T HE FUTURE IS IN O UR H A NDS
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THERE IS A PL ACE LIKE NO OTHER ON EARTH
It is a place of UNPARALLELED BIODIVERSITY and BREATHTAKING BEAUTY, with LUSH TROPICAL FORESTS that are CRUCIAL TO REGULATING THE PLANET'S CLIMATE. It is HOME TO ELEPHANTS, GORILLAS, and humans’ closest relatives, CHIMPANZEES and BONOBOS. Many people wouldn’t know how to find it on a map, but ITS HEALTH AND PRESERVATION ARE VITAL TO OUR VERY EXISTENCE.
PHOTO: PETER HOULIHAN
IT IS THE CONGO BASIN IN CENTRAL AFRICA.
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T HE CON G O BASIN: HOME TO
THE WORLD’S SECOND-LARGEST TROPICAL RAINFOREST ENCOMPASSES
1.4 MILLION SQUARE MILES OF CENTRAL AFRICA
CONGO BASIN COUNTRIES CAMEROON
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
GABON
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
RWANDA REPUBLIC OF CONGO
CONGO BASIN INSTITUTE MAIN OFFICE
ONE OF THE PLANET’S TWO ‘LUNGS’ The Congo Basin has the world’s largest rainforest that is still absorbing carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere and helping to slow climate change
HOLDS
60 BILLION TONS OF CARBON
— its peat bogs alone hold an estimated 30 billion tons
RAINFORESTS ARE VITAL TO OUR EXISTENCE:
O2 CO2
C
Rainforests regulate the planet’s oxygen and carbon cycles, absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and releasing oxygen.
Rainfall generated from rainforests replenishes many parts of the world.
HOME TO APPROXIMATELY
1 OUT OF EVERY 5 SPECIES ON THE PLANET In Cameroon alone, there are 900 species of birds and 300 species of mammals (including 29 primate species)
80 MILLION
PEOPLE depend on it for their livelihoods
Rainforest animals and birds that disperse plant seeds help forests regenerate, maintain genetic diversity and increase resilience to climate change.
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T HE CON G O BA SIN:
UNDER TH REAT
C L I M AT E CHANGE The Congo Basin (along with all of Sub-Saharan Africa) is ground zero for potentially devastating impacts of climate change on food security, human health and the environment.
EXP LO I TATI O N O F NAT URA L RE SO URC E S Corporations in non-African countries are scrambling to exploit Africa’s natural resources (minerals, hardwood, oil), putting tremendous pressure on the Congo Basin’s plants, animals and overall biodiversity.
W I LD LI FE TRA F F I CK E R S Traffickers are killing the animals that disperse the seeds of rainforest trees, leaving rainforests less able to regenerate and less resilient to climate change. Critically endangered forest elephants alone disperse an estimated 100 species of trees.
S IL E NCI NG I N D I G E NOUS VOICE S Indigenous people such as the Baka —the true ‘professors of the forest’— have been marginalized and even banned from parts of the rainforest, when their wisdom and knowledge are needed more than ever. P OVERT Y & DI S E ASE 70% of the poorest billion people on Earth live in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Congo Basin is a global hotspot for infectious disease emergence.
L ACK O F SC I EN TI FI C INFRASTRUC T URE Scientists and NGOs from abroad have a history of “helicoptering” in and out of the region; as a result, they have built little of lasting value.
W H AT DOES A F RI C A NEED? To counter this 'perfect storm' of urgent threats, Africa needs scholars
BRA IN D RA I N Only 20% of African scientists who go abroad to earn their Ph.D.’s return. 6% of Africa’s youth are enrolled in a university. Africa has the lowest number of researchers per capita in the world. There is an overwhelming need for expertise, but a lack of supply.
and scientists staying in Africa — nurtured, supported, and working across disciplines with policymakers.
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T H E CONG O BAS IN
AFRICANS ARE THE GREATEST CHANGE AGENTS FOR AFRICA THE MASSIVE CHALLENGES FACING THE CONGO BASIN—WHICH IN TURN AFFECT US ALL—CAN ONLY BE SOLVED BY PLACING AFRICA AT THE CENTER OF AFRICA’S SOLUTIONS.
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TH E CONG O BAS IN INSTIT UTE
SOLVE IT HERE, SOLVE IT FOR THE WORLD THE CONGO BASIN INSTITUTE (CBI) IS LAYING THE FOUNDATION, IN AFRICA, FOR LASTING PROGRESS.
CBI’S MISSION
PHOTO: PETER HOULIHAN
To find breakthrough solutions that conserve the environment and meet the vital needs of the developing world.
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TH E CONG O BAS IN INSTIT UTE
WHAT CBI is a joint initiative between UCLA and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), a research institute working in Africa for more than 50 years. The initiative includes universities from around the world and networks of scientists, practitioners and communities.
CBI BY THE NUMBERS
Active projects in
7
African countries
$13M in grant support to date with
NO OTHER ORGANIZATION IN THE CONGO BASIN IS BUILDING PROBLEM-SOLVING CAPACITY IN THIS WAY.
HOW • Conducts critical research on climate change, poverty alleviation, food and water security, human health, and biodiversity conservation—and how all of these issues interact—to inform policymakers as they tackle the interlocking challenges facing Sub-Saharan Africa. • Supports African scientists with resources and funds for labs, research and graduate students, empowering them to stay in Africa and become the agents of change Africa needs. • Uses scalable approaches that benefit the local people and local economy. • Engages indigenous people in efforts to preserve and pass on their vast knowledge of the forest, through the School for Indigenous and Local Knowledge.
$8M pending for research and education
600+ students served in
20 courses and workshops
$550,000
WHERE CBI has a permanent presence in Cameroon—a microcosm of the world’s environmental challenges— enabling researchers to study and test solutions to deforestation, mining, fast-growing urbanization, poverty, poaching, lack of sanitation and clean water, infectious diseases and more. CBI and IITA also have projects across Sub-Saharan Africa.
in grants supporting 116 students from 6 Congo Basin countries
1,000+ researchers supported
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ONE OF UCLA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL AND STRATEGIC INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
GLOBAL R E ACH CBI brings together leading universities, NGOs, government ministries, and corporate and local stakeholders. CBI draws on the University of California — one of the largest university systems in the world, with 200,000 faculty — as well as other university and NGO partners in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Cameroon.
UCLA’s first foreign affiliate in its 100-year history
Network of partners: 14 U.S. and international universities and NGO partners, including UC Davis, UC Riverside, Cornell University, and University of Hong Kong
The Congo Basin Institute works in seven countries: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Rwanda
TH E C O N G O BA SI N I NST I T U T E
UCLA CAMPUS COLLABORATIONS
- UCLA College Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Geography - David Geffen School of Medicine - Anderson School of Management - UCLA Law School - Fielding School of Public Health - School of Education & Information Studies - International Institute - School of Arts & Architecture: World Arts & Cultures/Dance - Fowler Museum - UCLA Extension - UCLA Sustainable L.A. Grand Challenge
No other higher education institution has a similar interdisciplinary structure that reaches more African countries in so many disciplines
Leverages the world-renowned UCLA brand, demonstrating how a public university can lead internationally
Key initiative of UCLA's Institute of the Environment & Sustainability IoES is focused on moving science to action on the frontlines of environmental progress. With research centers and partnerships throughout the UCLA network and beyond, IoES faculty and students are part of interdisciplinary, problem-solving teams engaging with communities, government agencies, businesses and non-profits at local, national and global levels.
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U RG EN T PRI ORI T IE S + IMPACT PROJECTS
PROGRESS TOWARD SOLUTIONS
CBI, WITH ITS NETWORK PARTNERS, HAS UNDERTAKEN A RANGE OF IMPACT PROJECTS (LISTED BELOW) TO ADDRESS URGENT PRIORITIES. THREE SUCH PROJECTS ARE OUTLINED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES.
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
The Ebony Project; Preserving Biodiversity Under Climate Change; Trade, Development, and Environment; School for Indigenous and Local Knowledge; CBI Distance Learning Center
RAINFOREST PROTECTION AND RESTORATION
The Ebony Project; Conservation-Friendly Cocoa; Forest-Animal Interactions
PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE
Combating Pangolin Trafficking; Preserving Biodiversity Under Climate Change; Conservation-Friendly Cocoa
ANIMAL AND HUMAN DISEASES
Predicting Ebola; Tracking Flu in Animals; Avian Malaria
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I M PACT PROJECTS: THE EBONY PROJECT
R E GRE EN I N G T H E RAI N F ORE ST
CBI LAUNCHED THE EBONY PROJECT IN 2016 WITH THE HELP OF BOB TAYLOR, CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF TAYLOR GUITARS. CBI AIMS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND EBONY ECOLOGY, REPLANT EBONY THROUGH A COMMUNITYDRIVEN PLANTING PROGRAM, AND COLLECT CRUCIAL DATA TO REFINE TECHNIQUES FOR EBONY PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT. Ebony is a black tonal wood often used to produce musical instruments such as guitars and pianos. But the ebony trees of Central Africa are in crisis: Low ebony population numbers coupled with high demand have left the trees vulnerable to overexploitation. Researchers have already revealed a wealth of insights on the ecology of ebony, including where it grows, under what conditions, and at what rate. They have identified its main pollinators and confirmed that seed dispersers (the animals that eat its fruits and move its seeds) are critical to a healthy ebony population. Community involvement is essential. The Ebony Project works with communities to plant a combination of ebony trees and locally valuable fruit, medicinal and timber trees. The communities tend the trees to ensure they grow and thrive. For the first five years of participation, the project pays small stipends to the communities for this work. After the fifth year, the communities care for the trees independently and harvest the fruits and medicines for their own use or to sell. The lessons learned from the Ebony Project can be used to help restore other rainforest tree species. In this way, the rainforests of Central Africa can be sustained and restored, contributing to the livelihoods of local communities and to the conservation and preservation of the region’s high biodiversity.
21,000 ebony trees planted to date
An ebony tree takes up to 200 to reach maturity
years
6,000
Nearly locally valuable fruit and medicinal trees
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I M PACT PROJECTS: FOR E ST-A NIMA L INT ERAC TI O N S
THE VI EW FROM SPACE
NASA IS PARTNERING WITH UCLA TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY TO TRACK THE PRESENCE AND MOVEMENT OF THE CONGO BASIN’S ANIMALS RESPONSIBLE FOR DISPERSING THE SEEDS OF TREES, REVEALING VITAL KNOWLEDGE THAT IS HELPING SUSTAIN THE CONGO BASIN RAINFOREST. Tags linked to the International Space Station (ISS) can track birds, antelopes, monkeys and more — over 800 species in total, covering nearly all of Earth’s surface as it orbits the planet 16 times a day. But the ISS offers more than remote tracking, instruments on board can characterize the rainforest in exciting new ways including by quantifying its 3D structure. This helps scientists understand how structural patterns of the forest canopy correlate with movement of seed dispersers. Other instruments record environmental variables such as temperatures to help scientists understand how critical seed dispersers respond.
First LiDAR imaging of 3D vegetation structure for Bouamir Research Station, showing a forest height gradient from blue (low) to yellow (high). Data was acquired via unmanned aerial vehicle. Photo credit: Nicolas Barbier, IRD
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I M PACT PROJECTS: PA NGOL INS IN PER IL
PROTECTING THE WORLD'S MOST TRAFFICKED MAMMAL
PANGOLINS ARE THE MOST TRAFFICKED MAMMALS IN THE WORLD, PRIZED FOR THE PERCEIVED MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF THEIR DISTINCTIVE SCALES. DEMAND FOR PANGOLIN PRODUCTS HAS DRIVEN THE UNSUSTAINABLE HARVEST OF PANGOLINS IN ASIA AND AFRICA. In partnership with the University of Hong Kong, CBI is uncovering complex pangolin supply chains using genomic technology, giving law enforcement around the world the tools they need to disrupt wildlife trafficking. CBI researchers work with teams of wildlife experts and conservationists to collect samples from pangolins already for sale at local markets, then link confiscated pangolin scales to the populations where they originated. This gives enforcement officials information on where pangolins are being poached using CBI's map of genetic variation in wild pangolins. CBI is working to put these tools in the hands of African stakeholders from the government, scientists, and conservation organizations by hosting workshops on how to employ conservation forensics to prevent poaching. Climate change is already impacting the biodiversity of the Congo Basin. With average temperatures set to between 2 and 5 degrees Celsius by 2080, CBI is developing novel approaches to save species like the pangolin. Using advanced genomics technology, developed in prior projects, CBI can use the data gathered in this project to determine where the populations of the species that are most genetically resilient to future climate change currently reside.
NEARLY
200,000 TRAFFICKED PANGOLINS
were seized by customs officials in the first half of 2019 —more than were seized in all of 2018, and up from 10,000 trafficked animals in 2013.
2016 international trade in pangolin products banned
The total illegal trade is estimated in the billions of dollars
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THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET DEPENDS ON AFRICA
By
2030 43% of all Africans are projected to join the ranks of the global middle and upper classes
By
2050 By
2035
PHOTO: PETER HOULIHAN
number of people entering the workforce in Africa will exceed that of the rest of the world combined, and that will continue every year for the rest of the century
1 in every 4 people will be African
By
2080 More than 40% of African species will be lost if global temperatures rise by 3 degrees as projected
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T H E CAS E F OR T HE END OWMENT
THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE.
THE FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS IMPACT PARTNERSHIP “I can think of no better partner than UCLA’s Congo Basin Institute to help protect, enhance and better understand the population of ebony trees, a precious resource to both the Congo Basin and the world in general. The incredible work they have already accomplished and their vision for addressing critical environmental and development issues are deeply inspiring and directly align with my own values.”-Bob Taylor, co-founder of Taylor Guitars “Bob Taylor’s visionary leadership and generosity have helped empower the Congo Basin Institute to make scientific progress and take action that will benefit the world’s second largest rainforest.” - Thomas Smith, UCLA professor, founder and co-director of CBI
EVERY ONE OF US ON EARTH DEPENDS ON THE CONGO BASIN — ITS RAINFOREST, PLANTS AND ANIMALS. YOUR PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT IS CRUCIAL TO THE FUTURE OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY REGION. CBI seeks to build an endowment of $10M to take its impactful work to the next level. Investment of this magnitude—in core operations, research, field stations, labs, student support, education and community engagement efforts—will drive substantive, sustainable progress toward solutions to Central Africa’s education, environmental and health challenges. The endowment will provide crucial flexibility to respond to unforeseen needs and stabilize CBI’s operations. CBI has accomplished extraordinary things in a relatively short time. It is successful at leveraging funding from multiple sources and at securing grants for research and educational programming. Imagine the impact of CBI backed by a robust endowment. Its core operations will no longer be subject to funding fluctuations; it will be able to scale projects more rapidly and effectively; and it will be better able to support African scientists undertaking vital conservation work on their home continent. By giving to the Congo Basin Institute Endowment, you will be directly contributing to CBI’s efforts to ensure a bright future for the Congo Basin, Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.
PHOTO: PETER HOULIHAN
For information on the UCLA Congo Basin Institute, see the website: https://www.cbi.ucla.edu or please contact: Rachel Scott Foster at 310.569.6321 or rscott@support.ucla.edu
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