The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has faced a single fire incident in the Lomami region as of July 26, 2024, underscoring the nation's ongoing battle against deforestation. With an area spanning over 232 million hectares, the DRC boasts a significant tree cover extent of approximately 199 million hectares. However, the country has experienced a net loss in tree cover of around 7.60 million hectares, with a net change of -3.55%.
Over the years, the primary driver of tree cover loss has been shifting agriculture, accounting for the vast majority of the deforestation. This practice alone was responsible for over 98% of the tree cover loss annually, with other factors like forestry, wildfires, and urbanization contributing to a lesser extent. The total CO2 gross emissions from tree cover loss have been staggering, with years like 2014 witnessing over 813 million metric tons.
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