Congo Basin
Africa
Like the bass beat under a melody, much of the Congo Basin’s carbon is found below the surface — in the rich peatland soils beneath the rainforest. Listen to an area full of surprises.
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In 2017, a team exploring the Congo Basin of Africa mapped its vast peatlands for the first time, revealing them to be the largest in the tropics — 16 times bigger than previously estimated. These peatlands, made up of decomposed plants that can build up over hundreds or even thousands of years, contain nearly a third of the world’s tropical peatland carbon.
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The Congo Basin stretches across six countries — Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon — and is home to more than 75 million people, many of whom rely on the forest’s natural resources. There are about 150 distinct ethnic groups in the region.
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The Congo Basin is one of the largest remaining intact tropical rainforests on the planet, but palm oil plantations, logging and mining are driving deforestation there. Forest loss more than doubled between 2002 and 2019. The majority of the world’s cobalt, a key ingredient in electric vehicle batteries, is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, raising important questions about how to spur the renewable energy transition without destroying nature.
Just 3.3% of Earth’s land contains half of our irrecoverable carbon ecosystems. We must protect these lands in order to prevent a climate disaster. Please join us in taking a stand for nature and each other.