The vast Congo basin rainforest in central Africa is the world's second biggest. The Congo rainforest sprawls across Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo. The rainforest is about twice the size of France but has been dwindling at an increasing rate, being cut down at a rate of over 10,000 acres a week.

Britain and Norway are each providing over $90 million to infuse new jobs into Africa that do not involve cutting down trees. To be eligible for funding, projects must demonstrate that they will curb deforestation. The funds also are earmarked for monitoring the effectiveness and compliance of the programs via HD cameras mounted on satellites.

Read the full story at guardian.co.uk.