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3 Aug 2024

DRC's Haut-Katanga Witnesses a New Fire Incident Amid Ongoing Tree Cover Challenges
DRC's Haut-Katanga Witnesses a New Fire Incident Amid Ongoing Tree Cover Challenges

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing a new environmental challenge as a fire incident was reported on August 3, 2024, in the Haut-Katanga region. This incident adds to the country's long-standing struggle with tree cover loss, which has seen a net decrease of 6,001,904.69 hectares, or a 3.55% change, over the past two decades.

The DRC, with an area of over 232 million hectares, has a significant tree cover extent of approximately 199 million hectares. However, the country has experienced considerable tree cover loss, primarily due to shifting agriculture, which accounts for the vast majority of this loss. Other contributing factors include urbanization, forestry practices, and wildfires, although their impact is considerably less in comparison.

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Between 2001 and 2022, the DRC has lost over 7.50 million hectares of tree cover, with shifting agriculture being the predominant driver. Despite a tree cover gain of around 1.59 million hectares, the net loss stands as a stark reminder of the environmental challenges the country faces. The disturbances to tree cover have also led to significant carbon emissions, further exacerbating the global climate crisis.

The latest fire incident in Haut-Katanga is a small yet significant indicator of the ongoing environmental degradation in the DRC. With each fire and loss of tree cover, the country's rich biodiversity and the livelihoods of its inhabitants are put at risk. The trend of tree cover loss and its associated impacts highlight the need for concerted efforts to address environmental sustainability in the region.

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