Congo has one of the most threatened rainforests in the world. Activities such as logging,
Subsistence Agriculture, Civil Strife, Mining and ‘Bushmeat’ Trade are the factors
for such a result. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), Congo has lost approximately 91,000 km2 to deforestation in the 10 years
between 1990 and 2000. Not to mention, 65.8 percent, or 22,471,000 hectares, of
Congo’s land is covered with forests. Of this, 33.2 percent, or 7,464,000 hectares of the
forest is classified as primary forest, the most abundant and greatest form biodiversity
of a forest. During the 1990, for a decade, Congo has been loosing an average of
17,000 hectares of forests per year, around 0.07 percent. Between, 2000 and 2005,
deforestation activity as increased by 0.8 percent from the pass decade to 0.08 percent
yearly. Deforestation rates of have decreased 1.1% since the close of the 1990s. In
total, between 1990 and 2005, Congo lost 1.1% of its forest cover, or around 255,000
hectares and 84,000 hectares of its primary forest cover. Congo has also lost 1.1 percent
of its woodlands habitat. Congo’s forest houses some 970 different species of animals
according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre and 0.7 percent of
these animals are endemic, which means they can’t be found in any other country and 2
percent of the animals are threatened to extinction. Besides animals, Congo also house
6000 different kinds of vascular plants, where 20 percent of these plants are endemic.
Only 14.1 percent of the plants are under protection.
Logging: Logging is one of the reasons for deforestation in Congo. After the war,
when peace is back to the country, the rate of logging has increased significantly.
In 2004, Congo started logging commercially. The timber industries expanded
because of it. Many workers were employed. This helped Congo’s economy.
Many underpaid citizens tried to earn money through illegal logging opening
restricted areas to cutting. This created incentives which they add on with their
legal jobs and pay.
Agriculture: Agriculture also led to deforestation. Most of the forest cover has
been taken by poor farmers and villagers for agriculture and fuelwood collection.
Farmers use the slash-and-burn method for quick removal of trees and other
plants.
Civil Strife: Ever since the mid 20th century, Central Africa has been troubled by
violence amongst its own people. Civil Strife caused many people to flee from
their homes, away from the city, and into the forest for shelter. During their stay
in the forest, people took food and destroyed wildlife habitat. Animals were also
hunted and disturbed by the refugees. Destruction of the forest was evident after
they had left the forest.
Bushmeat: To date, visitors of Congo can purchase almost every kind of meat if
any animal that can be found in the forest. There is a huge demand for protein in
the market thus people started to hunt for animal’s meat. Different animal’s meat
contains different amount of protein and has its own purpose for consumption
thus every type of meat was on demand and none of the meat could substitute
another meat.
Mining: The Congo Basin, one of Congo’s forests, has some of the world’s
richest mineral deposits. Project works in the forest are poorly supervised; health
issues were not carefully monitored, not to mention environmental impact.
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has stepped in and tried to help some of the
animal population to prevent them from going into extinction. Core protected areas
and strong anti-poaching efforts were increased. To continue the protection of these
animals, WCS is advocating that the US pass HR 4416 billion to support funding.
References:
1 . http://rainforests.mongabay.com/congo/deforestation.html
2 . http://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/2000/Congo.htm
3 . http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/congo_basin_forests/
problems/deforestation/
4 . http://wrmbulletin.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-
deforestation-of-protected-areas-for-mining-operations-in-the-province-of-
katanga-the-case-of-the-basse-kando-reserve/
5 . http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51918
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