By Jean Baptiste Ndabananiye

The Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest, is facing an unprecedented crisis. Home to over 75 million people and more than 150 indigenous ethnic groups, including the Ba’Aka, BaMbuti, and Efe; this vibrant ecosystem teeters on the brink of irreversible damage. While the Congo Basin countries have populations totaling approximately 200 million, not all citizens in those countries live within the basin itself. The estimate of around 75 to 80 million people applies to residents within areas directly influenced by the basin’s forests and rivers. These are people relying on its resources for food, shelter, and economic activities like fishing, farming, and gathering forest products.

The relentless advance of deforestation — fueled by illegal logging, agriculture, mining, and infrastructure development — threatens not only the unique flora and fauna but also lives and livelihoods of millions depending on the forest’s resources. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warns that, without immediate action, the basin could mirror the devastation of the Amazon: a story of lost biodiversity, cultural disintegration, and climate instability. With logging clearing hundreds of thousands of hectares annually and domestic fuel demands driving forest degradation, urgent intervention forms the only path to preserving this critical natural treasure. This article is divided into these key themes:

1. Congo Basin deforestation
2. Illegal wildlife trade
3. Resource extraction and its environmental cost

In the meantime,  this is the third article of “Echoes of the Earth: From the Congo Basin to the Amazon”, a reporting project— by Life In Humanity—that investigates the vital role of these forests in maintaining global ecosystems, stabilizing climate, and supporting local communities. This project underscore the crucial need for urgent action to protect these forests, underlining that their preservation stands essential not only for the world’s biodiversity but also for humanity’s future. In this regard, the following is the list of previous articles under this project:

1.     “Rwanda’s stake in the Congo Basin’s future —a global perspective” accessible here.

2.    “The heart of Africa’s climate: understanding the Congo Basin” you can reach here.

Congo Basin deforestation

WWF in its 22 June 2024 article points out “While there are logging concessions in the Congo forest, there are also illegal logging operations and looming threats of conversion for agriculture, mining and infrastructure development. If action isn’t taken with urgency, the Congo Basin rainforest could become the next Amazon – a story of relentless deforestation, unknown and unrecorded species lost, and many forest people’s lives and local livelihoods affected.”

In another WWF article of which Life In Humanity has been unable to know the publication date reads “Construction of roads has greatly facilitated access to the interior of the forest, and many people have relocated close to roads. But logging, oil palm plantations, population growth and road development have strained the traditional resource management system.

A large and growing percentage of the Congo Basin is under concession to logging and mining companies. Such industries bring large groups of people to the forest and with that come their need for food, including bushmeat and fuelwood. Related infrastructure projects —such as roads and dams — have environmental impacts and increase access to remote forest areas for hunters.”

Logging operations refer to activities involved in cutting down trees and transporting the logs to sawmills or processing facilities. In this context, a log means a thick piece of a tree trunk or branch. Those operations are typically carried out by logging companies and can include a range of tasks such as felling, limbing, bucking, skidding, loading and hauling.

Felling means cutting trees down. Limbing signifies stripping the felled trees of the branches. Bucking in forestry and logging contexts refers to cutting a tree trunk into logs of specific lengths. Skidding means moving the logs from the forest to a loading area. Loading and hauling  include transporting the logs to mills or other processing facilities.

With its 3 September 2024 story, Economics Observatory sounds the alarm over the potential devastation of the Congo Basin forest. It raises the same issue already expressed by WWF. It discloses “The rainforest and its inhabitants are under threat. Today, the region (Congo Basin) is home to over 75 million people, including 150 different ethnic groups such as the Ba’Aka, BaMbuti and Efe people.

Timber extraction poses a major risk to the ecology of the region as well as to the wider climate. In 2021, deforestation in the Congo Basin increased by almost 5%, with more than 630,000 hectares of land cleared for logging (Cavallito, 2022). So, in just 12 months, an area of rainforest the size of Los Angeles was stripped bare by the timber industry.In terms of logging, the Central African Republic is the worst offender, with deforestation rates increasing by 71% from 2018 to 2021.”

If no action is urgently taken, Economics Observatory highlights that by a few years, an immense part of the basin’s forest will have been destroyed. “By 2050, the Congo rainforest will have shrunk by more than a quarter based on current trends (Observatoire des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale, OFAC, 2021). This is equivalent to a forest the size of Egypt being wiped out over the next two and half decades, which would have devastating consequences for the basin’s biodiversity. From the smallest bugs to the mighty elephants, deforestation risks extinction for many of the Congo’s unique creatures.”

The World Bank’s 24 October 2022 article reads “The area (Congo Basin) is increasingly coming under threat due to deforestation, environmental degradation, growing populations, and the impact of climate change.”

The Program on Forests (PROFOR) is a multi-donor partnership instituted  by the World Bank, the FAO- Food and Agriculture Organization and other various partners. The program’s purpose is to enhance forests’ contribution to poverty reduction, sustainable development and protection of environmental services through the implementation of national forest programs or equivalent forest policy processes.

In its 15 June 2024 article, PROFOR echoes what other sources say. PROFOR states that it has financed an in-depth, multi-sectoral analysis of the major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation for the next decades in all the six of the Congo Basin countries. The latter ones include Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Republic of Congo. 

It reports “Though the deforestation rates in the Congo Basin countries have historically been low, the trend is likely to change dramatically due to the combination of many different factors: population increases (and associated expansion of subsistence agriculture and fuelwood collection); local and regional development; and the rise in global demand for commodities.

The countries of the Congo Basin face the dual challenge of developing local economies and reducing poverty, while limiting the negative impact of growth on the region’s natural capital.”

This overall study led by the World Bank Africa Region, according to the PROFOR, highlights these major findings. “Deforestation rates are likely to increase in the future to sustain development and poverty reduction. Increasing agricultural productivity is not sufficient to limit pressure on forests. Wood extraction for domestic fuelwood or charcoal production will continue to grow for the next few decades and could create a massive threat to forests in densely populated areas.

The development of much-needed transportation infrastructure could lead to major deforestation, mainly by changing economic dynamics in newly accessible rural areas. The pressure from formal logging is limited, but informal chainsaw logging is expected to progressively degrade forests. Mining—a largely untapped source of income and growth—could also lead to significant impacts when the sector develops.”

FAO and the Green Climate Fund partnering for climate action released a story on 22 May 2024 where they also raise “While forests are a lifeline for many Congolese, slash-and-burn subsistence farming and a heavy reliance on fuelwood drive deforestation – over 80 percent of the population relies on fuelwood for cooking and heating needs.”

Illegal wildlife trade

WWF reports that  the leading cause of wildlife loss in the Congo Basin is commercial bushmeat trade ignited by an ever rising market. “In the DRC alone, over a million tons of bushmeat are consumed each year. Alarmingly, this lucrative business is causing the forest to become empty of species. Animals like monkeys and antelope are common targets, although species such as gorillas and bonobos are also at risk.

Combating the bushmeat trade presents many challenges. In remote areas, bushmeat is the primary source of income for families, as it is the only export that will earn a profit. WWF works with communities to create alternatives.”

Different sources affirm that gorillas are also killed for bushmeat. For example, Wired in its 12 July 2016 article “Gorillas are being killed and eaten by miners in the Congo” stated “Fewer than 4,000 Grauer’s gorillas remain and the sub-species is being pushed to extinction by hungry miners. An endangered gorilla subspecies is being pushed towards extinction as mineral miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hunt it for bushmeat. Concerns have now been raised that the global technology supply chain may be accelerating its demise.

The Grauer’s gorilla, the world’s largest primate, is only found in the eastern DRC, but decades of illegal hunting and mining, coupled with civil unrest and habitat loss, have pushed it to the brink. Conservationists are now calling for ‘bushmeat free’ to be included alongside ‘conflict free’ as a way of ensuring minerals used in the global supply chain are sourced from mines that don’t kill endangered animals.”

Nyungwe Forest National Park says “The mountain gorillas were killed by poachers to be consumed as bushmeat and this was one of the biggest and most common reasons of poaching these animals.”

WWF points out that the international demand for ivory still drives the killing of elephants, resulting in local extinctions and threatening to eliminate elephants entirely. This fund adds that it plays an important role in combatting illegal trade, including through TRAFFIC, the world’s largest wildlife trade monitoring network. “Poaching continues to be a growing problem in the Congo Basin, even within national parks and other protected areas. The international trade in protected species such as elephants has reached levels which endanger the survival of these species. WWF recognizes the need for robust antipoaching operations. We also see the need to improve people’s standards of living in order to reduce their dependence on nature.”

Species like gorillas, elephants, lions, and leopards fulfill crucial roles in maintaining the ecological integrity of the Congo Basin. These animals contribute to the biodiversity and functioning of the ecosystem in several ways, supporting a balanced, healthy environment.

For instance, gorillas help to keep plant diversity by consuming fruits and then dispersing seeds across vast areas. Their movements through the forest help to establish new plant growth, conducing to the regeneration of the ecosystem.

Elephants are often called keystone species because of their ability to shape the landscape. In the Congo Basin, elephants create clearings in the forest by uprooting trees ; which allows sunlight to reach the forest floor, encouraging the growth of new plant species. Like gorillas, elephants eat large amounts of fruit, nuts, and seeds. Through their droppings, they help to disperse seeds, assisting to maintain plant diversity.

Apex predators like lions and leopards play a significant contribution. Their hunting behavior keeps prey species from overpopulating and damaging vegetation. For instance, by controlling populations of medium-sized mammals, leopards help to maintain the health of the forest by preventing certain species from becoming too dominant. It thus signifies that all species in the Congo Basin are to be protected.

Resource extraction and its environmental cost

WWF says “The Congo Basin is extremely rich in wood, oil and minerals such as diamonds, gold and coltan (used to make cell phones). Many people depend on such resources for their livelihoods, and the global demand for these materials is increasing.”

Forests News constitutes a platform managed by CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research). In its 20 Sep 2024 story headlined “Mining in the Congo rainforest causes more deforestation than previously assumed”, it says “Mining for valuable minerals in the Congo Basin rainforest triggers extensive deforestation. A new study published in Nature Sustainability sheds light on the far-reaching impact of mining beyond the excavation site. ”

“Conducted by a team from The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)’s Global Comparative Study on REDD+, the research is the first to estimate the triggering effects of mining in the region. The study reveals that artisanal mining attracts entire communities. Settlements and farmland spring up around mining sites, with deforestation impacts that are, on average, 28 times larger than the mine itself.” The study was released on 02 September 2024.

This story says that recently, a team of researchers has used advanced satellite data and statistical models to investigate the impact of mining on the surrounding forest. The team has come from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Wageningen University and Research, CIFOR-ICRAF and the French agricultural research and cooperation organization (CIRAD).

“The vast majority of minerals in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are extracted in artisanal mines,” says Malte Ladewig, lead author and doctoral scholar at the School of Economics and Business, NMBU, according to the story. “As these are small in scale, they only have a limited direct impact on deforestation.  Far more critical are the indirect impacts caused by the  land uses that accompany the onset of mining,” Ladewig explains, before adding “As minerals are discovered and exploitation starts in the forest, people start moving into these often remote and sparsely inhabited areas.” 

Forests News adds “As settlers arrive, so does the need for land to build homes and grow food. The study reveals that deforestation for settlement expansion and farmland accelerates as mining begins and quickly outstripping the area cleared for the mine.”

Life In Humanity takes this opportunity to again remind you of the previous articles under this reporting project:

1.     “Rwanda’s stake in the Congo Basin’s future —a global perspective” accessible here.

2.    “The heart of Africa’s climate: understanding the Congo Basin” you can reach here.