The Republic of Congo has recorded a new fire incident in the Plateaux region, according to the latest data. This incident adds to the country's long-standing challenges with tree cover loss, which has been significantly driven by shifting agriculture. Over the years, the Republic of Congo has seen a net change in tree cover that reflects a loss of 1.38%, with a total of 444,820.93 hectares lost and only 113,139.36 hectares gained.
The data reveals that shifting agriculture has been the predominant driver of tree cover loss, responsible for the vast majority of the hectares lost. Urbanization, while contributing to a smaller portion of the loss, has been a consistent factor over the years. The cumulative effect of these losses has had a considerable impact on the country's forested areas, which originally spanned over 26 million hectares.
Explore country profileThe recent fire incident, although isolated, is a reminder of the ongoing environmental challenges the country faces. The Republic of Congo's forests are a critical part of the Congo Basin, which is the world's second-largest tropical rainforest and a key player in global climate regulation. The loss of tree cover not only affects local ecosystems and biodiversity but also contributes to global climate change concerns.
