IRI DRC also took steps in March to relaunch its provincial chapter in Équateur, with a strategic meeting focused on the chapter’s 2026 action plan and local priorities. Participants identified community awareness, mobilization of religious leaders, and advocacy for forest protection as key areas of work, while emphasizing the need for stronger local capacity on forest law, peatlands, and deforestation monitoring. Immediate next steps include convening a wider group of faith leaders and partner organizations and organizing local training sessions. By rebuilding provincial coordination around urgent threats, IRI DRC is laying the groundwork for more locally grounded forest advocacy.
