Between legal norms and survival practices: the impact of human capital on forest management in the DRC

This article analyzes the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on the effectiveness of forest management in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study data comes from on-site observation conducted as a four-month internship (March to June 2024) at the Directorate of Forest Management (DGF) and semi-structured interviews with 16 respondents from this department and the office of the Congolese Minister in charge of forests. The results indicate deficient HRM, characterized by disparities in the administrative and salary positions of civil servants responsible for forest management. These disparities fuel a sense of injustice among these civil servants and disconnect them from the challenges of sustainable forest management. The article calls for a (re)valuation of the forestry official to improve the Congolese ecological infrastructure.