Gabon
Dans la perspective d'un PIB de 25 milliards de dollars porté par les resources naturelles
Selon les récentes analyses de la Banque africaine de développement (BAD), l’intégration des services écosystémiques dans les comptes nationaux permettrait de réévaluer le Produit Intérieur Brut (PIB) du pays à la hausse de 21,86 %. Cette comptabilisation du capital naturel représenterait un apport comptable de près de 4,62 milliards de dollars, soit environ 2 650 milliards de FCFA supplémentaires.
The forest, an undervalued financial asset
This substantial revaluation is based on the exceptional ability of Gabon's forest massif to sequester carbon. Until now absent from classical economic aggregates, this ecological function is now perceived as a strategic resource. By transitioning from a conventional GDP of $21.12 billion to an estimated "green GDP" of $25.73 billion, Libreville would redefine its economic structure. For the Bretton Woods institution, the sustainable valuation of natural resources (from the wood industry to agro-industry) is the priority lever to reduce the financing deficit and increase the contribution of biodiversity to growth.
Structural disparities within the CEMAC zone
The AfDB report highlights varied trajectories in Central Africa. If the Congo could see its GDP increase by 36.63% thanks to its natural capital, the Central African Republic would experience a spectacular surge of 330.81%, testifying to the preponderance of its forests in its real economy. In contrast, Cameroon, with a more diversified and industrialized economy, would show a more contained increase of 9.99%. These gaps highlight the fundamental differences between economies still heavily dependent on extraction and those engaged in more advanced structural transformation.
Stakes of credibility and innovative financing
This renewed reading of national wealth is not merely theoretical; it carries stakes of financial sovereignty. A revaluation of the real weight of Gabon's economy would mechanically improve the country's solvency indicators, strengthening its signature on capital markets. However, the realization of this potential requires strengthening national statistical capacities. The implementation of forest capital accounts, currently underway, represents an important milestone for structuring innovative financing mechanisms, such as carbon markets, and durably integrating this invisible wealth into the country's development strategy.
Ndjomo Carlos
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