The World Bank recently appealed for funding from donor countries to provide aid that would tackle climate-change. That sounds great at first, but a visit by Congo pygmies to the World Bank's Washington headquarters this week may bring to light a flaw in the organization's supposed environmental focus.

Pygmies from the Democratic Republic of Congo plan to fly to Washington to complain to the World Bank about its support for logging, which was hoped to boost the economy that was ravaged by the 1998-2003 war in the former Zaire. But the pygmies, who have culturally considered themselves dependent upon and stewards of the forests, complain that the bank failed to follow its own guidelines for environmental impact assessments and on policing the logging.

Meanwhile, the Tropical Forest Trust, which promotes responsible forest management, gave the Congo Republic's northern pygmies GPS (Global Positioning System) devices to designate and map out sacred sites and hunting areas to be avoided by commercial loggers – in particular, Africa's largest logging company, Congolaise Industrielle des Bois.

But those incidents seem to clash with the bank's latest efforts. Interestingly, the bank last week approved a new fund that would pay developing countries to protect and replant tropical forests, which store carbon and prevent its release into the atmosphere.

The World Bank also stated it plans to focus on the environment, including improving access to clean energy and financing low-carbon alternatives in developing countries. Aid that could actually slow the effects of climate change on developing countries would be incredibly helpful because so many developing countries suffer from environment-related issues – causing increasing drought and famine as temperatures rise and humidity increases.

It does seem that some kinks need to be worked out in order to focus on development while also protecting cultures and the environment.