environment
Floating cities of logs: can the ‘lungs of Africa’ survive its exploitation?
The Congo River basin is one of the planet’s most biodiverse ecosystems. But it is also home to a growing population and relentless trade in timber and charcoal
TL;DR
- Millions depend on the Congo River basin for survival, navigating its waters for trade and resources.
- The Congo basin is the second-largest rainforest, vital for biodiversity and trapping carbon emissions.
- Exploitation, including illegal logging and charcoal production, threatens the rainforest, especially near growing cities like Kinshasa.
- Vast peatlands in the Cuvette Centrale store 30 billion tonnes of carbon, emphasizing the region's global importance.
- Despite conservation awareness and the cancellation of oil and gas drilling rights, much of the peatland remains unprotected.
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has lost significant forest cover, raising concerns about the future of the 'lungs of Africa'.