Congo

By 2030, the Congo aims to secure its biodiversity through better knowledge of its constituents, by sustainable management, and by integrating human and socio-economic developments.

Governance

NATIONAL MOBILISATION 

Launching Ceremony

February 24, 2021

Brazzaville

The launching ceremony of the BIODEV2030 project in Congo was the opportunity to hold the first meeting of the Steering Committee (COPIL) and to explain the challenges of the project to the 50 participants assembled there. Arlette Soudan-Nonault-Minister of the Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin -, representatives of sectoral ministries involved in biodiversity management, CSOs, technical partners and private sector players left the launch with a better understanding and a common vision of BIODEV2030.

Launch ceremony of the BIODEV2030 project and first COPIL meeting organised on 24 February, 2021, at the Saint-François de Paul hotel in Brazzaville, Congo.


Diagnosis: Issues

The Republic of Congo’s forest cover is distributed over three major massifs in the north, centre and south of the country, covering around 69% of the total land area. This is discontinuous and diverse cover, comprising primary, secondary and swamp forests. Another important aspect for biodiversity in Congo is that there are 53 forest concessions, representing nearly 60% of the nation’s forest cover. 

Although there are 15 protected areas (including 4 national parks, 7 reserves, 2 sanctuaries and 2 hunting grounds) covering 11% of the country, the status of wild mammals is constantly deteriorating. This is mainly due to poaching and to the overexploitation of commercial forest species. Alongside these two key drivers of biodiversity loss, deforestation for charcoal production, slash-and-burn agriculture and bush fires are reducing and fragmenting the living areas, as well as altering and degrading the environment.

-78%

Loss in forest coverage due to conversion into farmland between 2000 and 2010

12

number of mammals endangered out of the 200 recorded

MOST IMPORTANT GLOBAL THREATS:

Deforestation and forest degradation
Proliferation of invasive species
Excessive resource extraction
Poaching
Effects of climate change on ecosystems

Key Points

The lack of data on the spatial and temporal distribution of biodiversity in Congo prevents direct empirical analysis to link the biodiversity loss to the suspected sectoral drivers.

Analysis of the deforested areas is not enough to explain the declining biodiversity, as it is affected by changes in related habitats, in particular their configuration and composition. 

The fragmentation of habitats is a major driver of biodiversity loss.

  • Agriculture
  • Extractive sector: mining

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