Why is the World's Largest Carbon Sink, the Congo Basin, at Risk?

Scientists believe that the Congo Basin is the world's most important rainforest carbon sink, absorbing more carbon than even the Amazon rainforest following the mapping of vast peatlands beneath the forest. 

The growing global demand for minerals, including those deemed essential to the energy transition, is beginning to affect the region's forests. It is estimated that an estimated 27% of the region's intact forests lie within mining permits, according to Earth Insight, and with new mines come new roads and railroads for transporting minerals, compounding any potential impact on the environment. One of the largest of its kind, this iron ore deposit lies in once intact forest just outside Minkébé national park - a gorilla habitat and the Congo Basin's greatest refuge for forest elephants. The logging industry remains a major force across the Congo Basin, with timber concessions blanketing tens of millions of hectares of forest.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and other countries across the region, activists are advocating for the preservation of their forests. However, the future of these precious ecosystems is at risk.