The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has faced a new fire incident in the Lualaba region as of September 12, 2024, adding to the country's environmental challenges. Over the past two decades, the DRC has experienced significant tree cover loss, primarily due to shifting agriculture, which accounts for the vast majority of this loss. The data reveals a disturbing trend of increasing tree cover loss, with a peak in 2014, where over 1.30 million hectares were lost, the highest recorded over the years.
The DRC's vast land area of approximately 233 million hectares includes a tree cover extent of nearly 200 million hectares. However, the country has seen a net loss of over 6 million hectares of tree cover, equating to a 3.55% decrease in total tree cover. Urbanization, wildfires, and forestry activities also contribute to this loss, but to a significantly lesser extent than agriculture.
Explore country profileThis loss of tree cover has substantial implications for the DRC's biodiversity, climate, and local communities. The ongoing deforestation not only threatens the habitat of countless species but also contributes to climate change through the release of carbon emissions. The latest incident in Lualaba underscores the urgency of addressing these environmental issues to preserve the DRC's natural heritage and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
