What’s happening in the Congo?

Climate change affects the entire planet; every continent, every ocean, every ecosystem, every mountain range. But of all of the continents, it is frequently suggested that Africa will face the largest impacts.

The impacts of climate change across Africa is of course far from a uniform process, however; large geographical difference occurs across the continent making its impacts largely unpredictable. It is the impact on Africa’s tropical heartland – the Congo basin –  however, that is most uncertain.

Research suggests that the Congo basin, the second largest rainforest in the world, is drying as a result of climate change. Precipitation rates are continually falling and temperatures are rising across much of the Congo. Drier rainforests make regions vulnerable to more forest fires and could eventually change rainforests into an entirely different habitat – one that locks up much less carbon.

As the second largest rainforest in the world, the Congo is thought to hold around 27 billion tonnes of carbon. With drier rainforests, this figure will become much less and we could see further increases in global temperatures – showing the dangerous snowball effect of global climate change.

Cool Earth is working in partnership with Lubutu, a small community in the heart of the Congo rainforest. We’re working with the local people to help to keep the Congo intact; helping them to fight back against deforestation and keep their forests standing. In preserving their rainforest, the drying of the region will be reduced – but it will, of course, require action across the globe to halt the process completely.

We want to put Africa back on the rainforest conservation map, helping Congolese communities to play their part to help mitigate global climate change whilst benefiting and conserving their own livelihoods.