By Jean Baptiste Ndabananiye
The Congo Basin often hailed as the “green lungs of the planet or beating heart of the Earth” stands at a perilous crossroads. For years, its dense rainforests and untamed rivers have silently sustained humanity by absorbing carbon, regulating climate, and sheltering extraordinary biodiversity. Yet today, relentless threats—deforestation, climate change, resource exploitation, and social inequalities—are pushing this vital ecosystem to the brink. This basin constitutes more than a regional treasure—it forms a lifeline for all of us from whole Africa to the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
At Life In Humanity, we have already shed light on the colossal challenges threatening the basin’s rich ecosystems, from rampant deforestation and biodiversity loss to climate instability and economic exploitation. We have done so through our reporting project— “Echoes of the Earth: From the Congo Basin to the Amazon”— dissecting the critical role of these forests in safeguarding global ecosystems, stabilizing climate in the world, supporting local communities, and underlining the crucial need for urgent action to protect these forests. It is now time to shift the narrative toward hope.
Meanwhile, the following is the list of articles already published about this basin:
- “Rwanda’s stake in the Congo Basin’s future —a global perspective” accessible here.
- “The heart of Africa’s climate: understanding the Congo Basin”you can reach here.
- “The Congo Basin under siege: mounting threats to the world’s second-largest rainforest” accessible here.
- The Congo Basin under siege: unmasking the hidden drivers fueling its crisis, part I accessible here.
- The Congo Basin under siege: unmasking the hidden drivers fueling its crisis, part II which you can access here.
As already suggested, in this next chapter of our exploration, we turn toward solutions where this series of articles will illuminate bold and transformative strategies that can not only rescue the Congo Basin from impending collapse but also safeguard the well-being of our entire planet. As we embark on a journey to explore practical ways to reverse the tide of the basin’s destruction, the success of these strategies is required to pave the way for sustainable development. This signifies that if the strategies fail, sustainable development will be thwarted too.
The path ahead is actually complex— but essential, demanding collaboration, innovation, and determination among various actors including those at the local, national, regional and global levels. Millions of people depend on this region for livelihoods. The unparalleled wildlife calls it home. The planet relies on its resilience to combat climate change. Therefore, finding solutions to safeguard the region is not an option—it instead represents an imperative.
From empowering local communities and implementing sustainable practices to leveraging technology and fostering collaboration at the mentioned levels, these solutions hold the key to balancing nature’s preservation with human progress.
Through this series, we will unveil opportunities to balance human needs with environmental preservation. These opportunities need to be capitalized upon, to empower communities, actively engage policymakers in the region and global stakeholders to reclaim the Congo Basin’s future. Together, let us undertake this critical conversation—one strategy, one solution, and one vision at a time. Let us explore actions that can reverse the tide of Congo Basin destruction, to ensure that the heart of our planet continues to beat strong for both us and generations to come.
Our two last articles— headlined “The Congo Basin under siege: unmasking the hidden drivers fueling its crisis, part I&II” and already mentioned on the list of articles already released around the Congo Basin— elucidate convoluted challenges disrupting this basin. The challenges involve illegal logging, weaknesses in combat against corruption, efforts— for the defense of the basin—marred by attacks on journalists and environmental defenders, and governance issues, among others. It signifies that effective measures are those which will be able to deal successfully with those challenges. This article addresses sustainable development through conservation in the Congo Basin and strengthening local communities for sustainable conservation and economic stability.
Sustainable development through conservation in the Congo Basin
There arises a need for eco-friendly projects to simultaneously support conservation efforts and local economies within the Congo Basin. Sustainable agriculture, ecotourism, and safe, affordable renewable energy initiatives benefiting communities and ecosystems are among key interventions that can help the communities around the basin and maintain this invaluable asset.
Gas containers— commonly used for cooking and heating— pose significant safety risks, sometimes resulting in devastating accidents such as explosions that cause loss of life and widespread property damage. Renewable energy solutions, such as solar and wind power, not only provide a safer alternative but also contribute to sustainable development by reducing environmental harm. By prioritizing these eco-friendly options, we can protect both lives and property while promoting long-term energy security. While renewable energy solutions offer long-term benefits, they can often be costly to some people; the reason why this aspect needs careful analysis.
Those issues underscore attention for safe, affordable renewable energy initiatives that can replace hazardous fuel sources.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is described as the world’s leading conservation organization, working in nearly 100 countries. It says that it works to ensure more sustainable methods of extracting natural resources like trees, oil, and minerals, with minimal impact to wildlife and forests. To decrease pressure for fuelwood, WWF explains that it has joined a tree plantation program outside Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). “Over 10 million trees have been planted to help meet the needs of local people and preserve mountain gorilla habitat. WWF has also provided fuel-efficient stoves and works with communities to find alternative wood sources through private and community forests.
To protect this important area, we are working to implement low-impact logging practices and leave some areas undisturbed. We also work to reduce the effects of iron-ore mines and stop poaching and bushmeat trade that may result from the influx of workers and roads.”
Of these six countries—Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo—, according to Mongabay, the DRC contains the largest area of the Congo Basin rainforest, with 107 million hectares, amounting to 60 percent of Central Africa’s lowland forest cover.
Strengthening local communities for sustainable conservation and economic stability
WWF in its undated article points out “The situation now. Today, environmental issues are just one of the items on the ‘to-do’ list of several Congo River Basin countries. Better education and infrastructure, employment opportunities, improved public services, more foreign investments are some of the many priorities vying for support. Clearly, environmental concerns need to be well integrated in all of these areas if they are to be successful.”
Gorilla-based tourism generates crucial revenue that can not only safeguard national parks but also support local communities. Such practices should be encouraged, as communities benefiting from the revenues brought by forest resources play a key role in ensuring the long-term protection of these invaluable ecosystems. WWF implies it in these words which highlight its work in this context. “Gorilla-based tourism helps raise funds to protect national parks and help local communities. Tourism fees generate much needed revenue for both the park and local communities. In the DRC, WWF introduced farmers to new types of crops and innovative methods to grow them so farming operations do not encroach upon nearby forest or harm wildlife.
WWF has also worked to empower local women to improve their livelihoods and the nutrition of their children by encouraging their participation in the new farming program. WWF continues to empower local communities to conserve their resources and improve livelihoods.”
If more stakeholders actively join WWF in this struggle, it will save this basin’s rainforest which boasts high levels of biodiversity consisting of more than 600 tree species and 10,000 animal species.
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) in its 4 November 2024 article also highlights the great importance of empowering and involving local communities. “Develop equitable benefit-sharing formulas for local communities. As they live closest to the forests, local communities are the first link in the chain of forest protection and the cornerstone of any successful policy to combat illegal logging.
Local communities are also the most insecure stakeholders in the forest management system. Lacking information and the skills to defend their interests in the legal arena, local communities risk being duped out of access to their customary rights to the land by logging corporations or colluding with public officials.”
“To counter this exploitation of local communities, customary rights provisions must figure centrally in national land use planning processes. This should be accompanied by proactive educational outreach to local communities about their rights and alternative sustainable management models that maintain livelihoods and revenues from preserving the forests. National and international NGOs can contribute to this process by ensuring local communities have a better understanding of the resources and revenue flows provided by the forests.”
Deep within the Congo Basin, where vibrant forests stretch as far as the eye can see, the fight to preserve these natural wonders hinges on the well-being of the communities living in their shadows. As ACSS emphasizes, ensuring that local communities get sustainable revenue streams is crucial for motivating their active participation in forest protection. According to ACSS, measures like prohibiting commercial logging on community forests can safeguard them from exploitation. It says “Protecting the livelihoods of local communities will also require ensuring sustainable revenue flows to these communities so they have financial incentives to cooperate in the protection of these forests.
In addition to incorporating local communities into any international conservation investment schemes, prohibiting concessions for any commercial logging on designated ‘community forests,’ such as the 5,000-hectare tracts of forest allocated to communities in Cameroon and other countries in the Congo Basin, would reduce local forest communities’ perpetual vulnerability to exploitation.”
Prohibiting concessions for commercial logging on designated “community forests” is affirmed as a crucial step in reducing the vulnerability of local communities to exploitation. These communities, often the most dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods, face significant threats when large corporations are allowed to log within their territories. Such concessions can lead to the depletion of vital resources, displacement of communities, and loss of income sources.
By protecting these community-managed forests, not only are the ecosystems preserved, but communities are also empowered to manage their resources sustainably. This approach fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility, allowing local populations to benefit from forest resources while safeguarding them for future generations. Moreover, it reduces the likelihood of exploitation by external actors seeking to profit from the natural wealth of these forests without benefiting the people who depend on them.
As already suggested, community forests are areas of forest land that are managed and controlled by local communities, rather than by the government or private companies. These forests are typically used by the communities for a variety of purposes, such as gathering firewood, harvesting non-timber products (fruits, medicinal plants, mushrooms, and honey, among others), and engaging in sustainable agriculture or timber harvesting, all in ways that align with local customs and needs.
The key point is that these communities— as stewards of the forest— hold the right to manage and utilize the resources within the forest according to their traditional practices and in harmony with conservation goals.
The lush forests of the Congo Basin are a lifeline for millions, yet they stand on the precipice of ruin due to unchecked exploitation. Rampant demand for tropical wood, coupled with systemic corruption and weak regulations, has created a haven for illegal timber trade. ACSS suggests a mechanism to respond successfully to the issue. “Priority actions needed. The timber trade in the Congo Basin is an essential source of income, integral to national economies, and provides a livelihood to local communities. Ensuring the sustainable production and consumption of timber in the Congo Basin is a vital feature for any path to reform.
Yet a surging demand for tropical wood (primarily from Asia but also from Europe and America) exacerbated by corruption, resource mismanagement, and ineffective regulation, makes it too [maximally] easy for criminals to harvest and trade in threatened timber illegally. The many gaps in the current protection of the Congo Basin forest resources underline that only a holistic and multitiered approach can address the unregulated and unsustainable exploitation of the Congo Basin’s invaluable natural assets.”
A multitiered approach refers to the mechanism that we have already suggested. multitiered approach is a strategy that operates on multiple levels or layers, to address a complex issue comprehensively. In this context of the Congo Basin, a multitiered approach to forest conservation and resource management would involve actions and policies implemented at various levels, namely local, national, regional and global.
The local level involves empowering communities through education, sustainable livelihoods, and equitable benefit-sharing for them to engage in the conservation of the basin. The national level entails enforcing stricter regulations, combating corruption, and integrating environmental considerations into economic planning. The regional level includes promoting cross-border collaboration among Congo Basin countries to protect shared ecosystems. The global one involves engaging international stakeholders, including NGOs and the donor community, to provide funding, technology, and policy support.
This layered strategy ensures that all key stakeholders and factors influencing the problem are addressed simultaneously, rendering it more likely to achieve lasting and effective solutions.