Fires in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is home to much of the world’s second largest rainforest. With a total area of 2,345,409 km², including 155,500,000 hectares of forest (i.e. 67% of the national territory), a hydrographic network composed of three basins, namely: “Congo River”, “Shiloango River” and “River Nile “, one of the richest and most diverse mega-biodiversity, significant fishing potential, subsoil rich in minerals of all kinds, hydrocarbons and gas and arable land with an area estimated at 80 million hectares, DRC is one of the African countries extremely rich in natural resources, destined to become an environmental powerhouse in the world. So let’s talk about the forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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A critical resource upon which millions of people depend for their livelihoods, this forest also provides habitat for countless animal species and is critical to the planet’s climate. One of the main dangers it faces is illegal and uncontrolled logging, sometimes linked to allegations of human rights abuses targeting the local population.
Congo-Kinshasa is almost 62% forested
Did you know?
Congo-Kinshasa is almost 62% forested, it has half the forests of the African continent.
The forest of the DRC covers an area of 155.5 million hectares. It thus accounts for nearly 62% of the national territory, 60% of the forests of the Congo Basin, 50% of the dense forests of Africa and 10% of
rainforest reserves in the world. It is therefore the second largest rainforest in the world after the Amazon.
Given its scale and rich biological diversity, the forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo represents enormous economic, social, cultural and ecological potential.
In this regard, its preservation is a priority first at the national and then at the international level
their primary role in sequestering greenhouse gases, forests store more than 8 percent of the world’s carbon, making them the world’s fourth largest reservoir of forest carbon.
It has exceptional ecological value. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) alone, 415 species of mammals, 11,000 species of plants, 1,117 species of birds and nearly 1,000 species of aquatic fish have been recorded. Forest elephants, gorillas, bonobos and okapis are among the most iconic species of this extraordinary biodiversity.
In these regions, entire cultures are based on their relationship with the forest. Tens of millions of people depend on it for their food, medicinal plants or energy supplies. Forest elephants, gorillas, bonobos and okapis are among the most iconic species of this extraordinary biodiversity.
In these regions, entire cultures are based on their relationship with the forest. Tens of millions of people depend on it for their food, medicinal plants or energy supplies.
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“The DRC’s most important asset is its forest” – Fires in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
“The DRC’s most important asset is its forest. Its 45 million hectares of forests are the most valuable heritage, apart from the mines, the oil blocks that we find in the country,” said Idesbald Chinamula, an expert at UNDP.
For him, the forest represents a renewable heritage that offers a rich biodiversity. Idesbald Chinamula argues that if the DRC manages its forest heritage well, the country will develop a “microclimate” that will allow living conditions to be “acceptable” “regardless of what happens” elsewhere on the planet. As for the state of the planet, the expert confirms that global warming could dangerously affect the planet, which could reach a temperature of 5 to 6°C by 2050 “if we are not careful”. For him, the most sustainable way for the DRC to prevent global warming is to preserve its forest heritage.
Forest and Central Basin – Forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Congolese forests extend between 03°N and 04°S, in an area that receives at least 1000 millimeters of water per year. They have an important essence to exploit. There are fifteen types: file, iroko, ebony, tiama, cosipo, sapeli, sipo, mahogany, wenge, afromosia and limba.
The central basin, largely covered by dense primary forest, alone occupies 100 million hectares, or 80% of the forest cover. The extremely high potential reserves could eventually allow an annual production of around 6 million m3 of wood per year. According to the Office of Permanent Inventory and Management of Forests (SPIAF), there are 708 identified forest species grouped into three categories:
Class 1: species that can be exported in logs
Class 2: species used locally, also for export in logs
Class 3: unexploited species
Still virtually untouched, the equatorial forest is relatively virgin forest and occupies almost half of its territory. It is located mainly in the central basin, an area with high temperatures and heavy rains. Its area is estimated at more than one million km2. There is a very dense vegetation of giant trees (4 to 5 m girth at the base and 50 m height), lianas and herbaceous plants grow there with pleasure.
To the east, above 1,200 meters, mountain tropical forests grow, where the trunks are covered with moss. Regularly devastated by floods, the western areas of the central basin have swamp flora. Among the trees that grow there are many that are provided with aerial roots.
If the equatorial is virgin, this is not the case for the forest of Mayombe (central Congo). Already at the beginning of the thirties, the latter was one of the first exploited areas, as well as a small part of the equator in Bandundu. But that of the central cuvette would only undergo development from the 1970s by logging companies that settled in Bandundu and Equator. Now this area is a center of timber exploitation. Evacuation is mainly by river (Congo and Kasai).
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wooded savannah
The Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks 3rd in the world and 1st in Africa in terms of forest area. It occupies the wettest part of the tropical belt and surrounds it almost entirely.
grassy savannah
Located as you move away from the forest and the equator to the northeast and southeast, the savanna transitions into scrub and the vegetation thins out. Tall grasses (3 to 4 m) stretch as far as the eye can see. The monotony is broken by a few small bushes. This is due to the climate, but also to the relief. On flat ground, we encounter wooded savannahs (grassy spaces dotted with clumps of trees), where the weather is constantly foggy.
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Every year, hundreds of km2 are the victim of bushfires that drive away the game that hunters watch.
The Congolese savannah and scrub are home to herbivores: elephants, antelopes, buffaloes and others; and large predators, mainly the lion, reign here.
#Fires in Democratic Republic of Congo
#Fires in Democratic Republic of Congo
