Environmental issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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Environmental issues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the consequence of compounding social and economic problems, including lack of access to clean energy, clearing of lands for agriculture and economic development, and armed conflict. Major environmental issues in DRC include deforestation, poaching, which threatens wildlife populations, water pollution and mining.

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A dense tropical rainforest in the DRC's central river basin and eastern highlands is bordered on the east by the Albertine Rift (the western branch of Africa's Great Rift System). It includes several of Africa's Great Lakes.

The civil war and resulting in poor economic conditions have endangered much of this biodiversity. Many park wardens were either killed or could not afford to continue their work. The five national parks, the Garumba, Kahuzi-Biega, Salonga and Virunga National Parks, and Okapi Wildlife Reserve, are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage in Danger.

Displaced refugees cause or are otherwise responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion and wildlife poaching. Another significant issue is environmental damage from the mining of minerals, especially diamonds, gold, and coltan – a mineral used to manufacture capacitors.

Species and biodiversity loss

The endangered mountain gorilla, half of its population live in the DRC's Virunga National Park, making the park a critical habitat for these animals. Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) yawn.jpg
The endangered mountain gorilla, half of its population live in the DRC's Virunga National Park, making the park a critical habitat for these animals.

The environmental problems associated with the DRC affect its many endemic species of flora and fauna. The DRC has the world's second largest contiguous rain forest after the Amazon as well as other ecosystems including Savanna, swamps and flood plains. According to the World Wildlife Fund, these unique habitats and species make the DRC one of the most valuable yet vulnerable areas in the world for biodiversity, wildlife protection and rainforest sustainability. [2]

Species loss has been cited as a problem in the DRC, brought about or exacerbated by reasons that include deforestation for mining, wood fuel, infrastructure or agriculture, war, illegal poaching and increased consumption of bush meat due to overpopulation and lack of food security. [3] Some attempts to combat species loss in countries such as the DRC are actions such as the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 15 Life on Land, the primary goals of which is to increase reforestation and biodiversity and reduce species loss, desertification, and illegal poaching. [4] One of the primary defences for species and habitat protection in the DRC is its system of national parks and reserves, which gives protected status to nearly 12% of the DRC's rainforest. [5] Five of these parks and reserves are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Africa's first national park Virunga national park. All of these parks have been put on the World Heritage in Danger List. [6] Poor governance and low economic conditions have reduced the effectiveness of these protections, especially during war times. [5] The human cost of protecting these parks has also been high with 200 park ranger deaths in the past 20 years. [7] Virunga national park and Salongo National Park, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites are currently being looked at for mining and oil exploration. The move would open 21.5% of the Virunga park for exploitation, this is highly criticised by animal rights activists as it would threaten the habitat of mountain gorillas and other endangered species.

Deforestation

Deforested lands in the DRC Changing land use in the Masisi - Julien Harneis - May 2 2007 - 4.jpg
Deforested lands in the DRC

Between 2000 and 2014 the DRC lost an average of 570,000 hectares (0.2%) of rainforest to deforestation per year, with the highest amount of deforestation coming between 2011 and 2014. [8] Deforestation is the primary cause of biodiversity reduction and species loss globally, through habitat loss and fragmentation. [9] One of the goals of the SDG 15 is to reduce deforestation and encourage reforestation by 2020. The DRC had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.56/10, ranking it 36th globally out of 172 countries. [10]

The DRC has Africa's largest rainforest, which is under the threat of deforestation through mining operations, agriculture, infrastructure and wood fuel. In the DRC 94% of wood taken from the rainforest is used for wood fuel, mainly due to poverty, lack of energy infrastructure and the decentralised nature of its population. To mitigate this aid agencies have tried to promote agro-forestry with fast growing trees to avoid over exploitation of the rainforests. [11] Other large drivers of deforestation include mining and conflict, during the Congo conflict deforestation by militia groups was high for wood fuel, small mining operations and illegal logging to fund their operations. However, conversely conflict reduced deforestation for large scale mining due to security instability. [5]

One policy being attempted to reduce the deforestation and increase biodiversity in the DRC is the UN-REDD program, which uses emissions trading system so that developed nations can offset their carbon emissions by paying developing nations with rainforest to manage and conserve their forest. [12]

Bush meat

Bush meat refers to any meat that is procured from the wild. Overpopulation and continual conflicts in the DRC have led to food shortages, which have therefore increased the use of bush meat. Although data on bush meat use is not extensive, studies estimate 6 million tonnes of animals are taken for bush meat globally each year. [13] What animals are hunted are done so indiscriminately without thought of the importance of certain species that could be ecosystem engineers or keystone species. [13]

Bush meat is an important source of protein for millions in the DRC, especially in rural areas where it makes up 50–70% of meals. For some who cannot afford farmed produce it is a free meal. [14] A recent study in the DRC revealed that almost all of the animals are taken from the Congo each year, at 93% of all live animals there are in the forest are extracted for bush meat, whereas a sustainable rate would be 20%. [15] This is a huge amount compared to the Amazon where bush meat is hunted at only 3% the rate of the Congo. [15] the study reveals the only way to solve this is to find other food sources to feed people in the Congo Basin as bush meat is their only means of eating. [15] Another study showed that the species of bush meat in the meat markets of the DRC's third largest city Kisangani were primarily Artiodactyla at 40.06% of the carcasses sold then primates at 37.79% of carcasses sold. [16]

Recently the prevalence of hunting for bush meat has declined because of the risk to hunters and butchers from the Ebola virus from specifically ape and bat meat. [17] Even though when the meat is cooked smoked or dried it kills the virus, business has dropped significantly with some hunters reporting as much of a reduction in sales of 80%. [17]

Poaching

Poaching for the exotic animal or ivory trade has been a persistent problem for species loss in the DRC; for some it has been a means of escaping poverty, while for some rebel groups, such as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), it is a means of continuing the civil war. [18] The forest elephant is particularly at risk due to the high cost of its ivory, especially in the Far East, which led to a 62% decrease in population in 2002–2011 [19] The main way this poaching for ivory can be reduced is through the hampering of the international demand for ivory, as this drives the trade. [19]

The introduction of park guards and the implementation of eco-tourism in Virunga National park, a primary habitat for great apes, has allowed the endangered mountain gorilla population to jump over 1000, a 25% rise on 2010 numbers. [20] However, the study indicated that poaching is still an existing problem, with researchers finding 380 snares and park guards continually being ambushed and killed by poachers. [20]

Impact of war

There has been a war in the DRC in different levels of intensity since 1994 when the country was called Zaire. [21] Although what was known as Africa's World War had ended in 2003 the eastern part of the country still has ongoing skirmishes between rebel groups and government forces. [21] No other method has reduced species population so dramatically than conflict, when a militia reached the Garamba National Park in 1997, within three months half of the park's elephants, two thirds of the buffalo, and three quarters of its hippos vanished. [22] The reason conflict is so damaging to wildlife is the increased use of bush meat to feed soldiers, the prevalence of weapons, the lucrative industry of selling exotic animals and ivory as well as the general failure of law and order. [22] According to another study which was taken during the time of the civil war in the Okapi Faunal Reserve, there was a 50% reduction in the abundance of elephants and a vast change in the distribution of them to the more secluded areas of the park. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African forest elephant</span> African elephant species

The African forest elephant is one of the two living species of African elephant. It is native to humid tropical forests in West Africa and the Congo Basin. It is the smallest of the three living elephant species, reaching a shoulder height of 2.4 m. As with other African elephants, both sexes have straight, down-pointing tusks, which begin to grow once the animals reach 1–3 years old. The forest elephant lives in highly sociable family groups of up to 20 individuals. Since they forage primarily on leaves, seeds, fruit, and tree bark, they have often been referred to as the 'megagardener of the forest'; the species is one of many that contributes significantly to maintaining the composition, diversity and structure of the Guinean Forests of West Africa and the Congolese rainforests. Seeds of various plants will go through the elephant’s digestive tract and eventually pass through in the animal’s droppings, thus helping to maintain the spread and biodiversity of the forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bushmeat</span> Meat hunted in tropical forests

Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption. Bushmeat represents a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity for inhabitants of humid tropical forest regions in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Bushmeat is an important food resource in poor, rural communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okapi Wildlife Reserve</span> World Heritage Site

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the Ituri Forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, near the borders with South Sudan and Uganda. At approximately 14,000 km2, it covers approximately one-fifth of the area of the forest. In 1996, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its large population of endangered okapis and its high overall biodiversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virunga National Park</span> National park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1925. In elevation, it ranges from 680 m (2,230 ft) in the Semliki River valley to 5,109 m (16,762 ft) in the Rwenzori Mountains. From north to south it extends approximately 300 km (190 mi), largely along the international borders with Uganda and Rwanda in the east. It covers an area of 8,090 km2 (3,120 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bwindi Impenetrable National Park</span> National park in Uganda

The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a national park in southwestern Uganda. It is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and is situated along the Democratic Republic of the Congo border next to the Virunga National Park and on the edge of the Albertine Rift. Composed of 321 km2 (124 sq mi) of both montane and lowland forest, it is accessible only on foot. It is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization-designated World Heritage Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern lowland gorilla</span> Subspecies of ape

The eastern lowland gorilla or Grauer's gorilla is a Critically Endangered subspecies of eastern gorilla endemic to the mountainous forests of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Important populations of this gorilla live in the Kahuzi-Biega and Maiko National Parks and their adjacent forests, the Tayna Gorilla Reserve, the Usala forest and on the Itombwe Massif.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congolian rainforests</span> Broad belt of rainforest in Central Africa

The Congolian rainforests are a broad belt of lowland tropical moist broadleaf forests which extend across the basin of the Congo River and its tributaries in Central Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albertine Rift montane forests</span> Ecoregion in east-central Africa

The Albertine Rift montane forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in east-central Africa. The ecoregion covers the mountains of the northern Albertine Rift, and is home to distinct Afromontane forests with high biodiversity.

Karl Ammann is a Swiss conservationist, wildlife photographer, author and documentary film producer. He initiated a campaign focusing on the African bush meat trade, which gained worldwide attention. As a conservation activist, he has specialized in investigative journalism involving undercover exposés dealing with the illegal wildlife trade. In the process, he has exposed NGOs and international conventions for their lack of effectiveness and the promotion of feel-good tales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Cameroon</span>

The wildlife of Cameroon is composed of its flora and fauna. Bordering Nigeria, it is considered one of the wettest parts of Africa and records Africa's second highest concentration of biodiversity. To preserve its wildlife, Cameroon has more than 20 protected reserves comprising national parks, zoos, forest reserves and sanctuaries. The protected areas were first created in the northern region under the colonial administration in 1932; the first two reserves established were Mozogo Gokoro Reserve and the Bénoué Reserve, which was followed by the Waza Reserve on 24 March 1934. The coverage of reserves was initially about 4 percent of the country's area, rising to 12 percent; the administration proposes to cover 30 percent of the land area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

The wildlife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo includes its flora and fauna, comprising a large biodiversity in rainforests, seasonally flooded forests and grasslands.

Kerry Bowman is a Canadian bioethicist and environmentalist based in Toronto, Ontario.

Odzala-Kokoua National Park is a national park in the Republic of the Congo. The park was first protected in 1935, declared a biosphere reserve in 1977, and granted official designation by presidential decree in 2001. Odzala-Kokoua has approximately 100 mammals species, and one of the continent's most diverse primate populations. The nonprofit conservation organization African Parks began managing the park in collaboration with the Ministry of Forest Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment of the Republic of the Congo in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

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Sankuru Nature Reserve is a protected area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in November 2007 to protect a forest area home to bonobo, okapi and African forest elephant. The reserve has not been managed effectively, and suffers from ongoing deforestation and bushmeat hunting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of the Central African Republic</span>

The wildlife of the Central African Republic is in the vast natural habitat in the Central African Republic (CAR) located between the Congo Basin's rain forests and large savannas, where the human density was smaller than 0.5 per km2 prior to 1850. The forest area of 22.755 million, considered one of the richest storehouses of wildlife spread over national parks, hunting reserves and community hunting areas, experienced an alarming loss of wildlife because of greed for ivory and bushmeat exploitation by hunters – mostly Arab slavers from across the borders of the Central African Republic with Chad and Sudan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

Deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is an environmental conflict of international importance. Most of the deforestation takes place in the Congo Basin, which holds the second largest rainforest of the world after the Amazon. Roughly fifty percent of the remaining rainforest in the Congo Basin lies within the boundaries of the DRC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kahuzi-Biéga National Park</span> National park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a protected area near Bukavu town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is situated near the western bank of Lake Kivu and the Rwandan border. Established in 1970 by the Belgian photographer and conservationist Adrien Deschryver, the park is named after two dormant volcanoes, Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega, which are within its limits. With an area of 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi), Kahuzi-Biega is one of the biggest national parks in the country. Set in both mountainous and lowland terrain, it is one of the last refuges of the rare species of Eastern lowland gorilla, an endangered category under the IUCN Red List. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1980 for its unique biodiversity of rainforest habitat and its eastern lowland gorillas. In 1997, it was listed on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of the political instability of the region, an influx of refugees, and increasing wildlife exploitation.

Lomami National Park is a national park located in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa. Situated within the middle basin of the Lomami River, it straddles the Provinces of Tshopo and Maniema with a slight overlap into the forests of the Tshuapa and Lualaba river basins. The National Park was formally declared on 7 July 2016. It is the 9th national park in the country and the first to be created since 1992.

References

  1. ↑ "Mountain Gorilla | Gorillas | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  2. ↑ "Congo Rainforest and Basin | Places | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  3. ↑ Butsic, Van; Baumann, Matthias; Shortland, Anja; Walker, Sarah; Kuemmerle, Tobias (2015). "Conservation and conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo: The impacts of warfare, mining, and protected areas on deforestation". Biological Conservation. 191: 266–273. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.06.037. ISSN   0006-3207.
  4. ↑ "Forests, desertification and biodiversity – United Nations Sustainable Development". www.un.org. Archived from the original on 1 November 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Butsic, Van; Baumann, Matthias; Shortland, Anja; Walker, Sarah; Kuemmerle, Tobias (November 2015). "Conservation and conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo: The impacts of warfare, mining, and protected areas on deforestation". Biological Conservation. 191: 266–273. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.06.037. ISSN   0006-3207.
  6. ↑ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Natural World Heritage in the Congo Basin". whc.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  7. ↑ Johannes, Nellemann, C., Redmond, Ian. Refisch (2010). The last stand of the gorilla : environmental crime and conflict in the Congo basin : a rapid response assessment. United Nations Environment Programme, GRID-Arendal. ISBN   978-82-7701-076-2. OCLC   642908252.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ Harris, Nancy L; Goldman, Elizabeth; Gabris, Christopher; Nordling, Jon; Minnemeyer, Susan; Ansari, Stephen; Lippmann, Michael; Bennett, Lauren; Raad, Mansour (1 February 2017). "Using spatial statistics to identify emerging hot spots of forest loss". Environmental Research Letters. 12 (2): 024012. Bibcode:2017ERL....12b4012H. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa5a2f . ISSN   1748-9326.
  9. ↑ "Impact of habitat loss on species". Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  10. ↑ Grantham, H. S.; Duncan, A.; Evans, T. D.; Jones, K. R.; Beyer, H. L.; Schuster, R.; Walston, J.; Ray, J. C.; Robinson, J. G.; Callow, M.; Clements, T.; Costa, H. M.; DeGemmis, A.; Elsen, P. R.; Ervin, J.; Franco, P.; Goldman, E.; Goetz, S.; Hansen, A.; Hofsvang, E.; Jantz, P.; Jupiter, S.; Kang, A.; Langhammer, P.; Laurance, W. F.; Lieberman, S.; Linkie, M.; Malhi, Y.; Maxwell, S.; Mendez, M.; Mittermeier, R.; Murray, N. J.; Possingham, H.; Radachowsky, J.; Saatchi, S.; Samper, C.; Silverman, J.; Shapiro, A.; Strassburg, B.; Stevens, T.; Stokes, E.; Taylor, R.; Tear, T.; Tizard, R.; Venter, O.; Visconti, P.; Wang, S.; Watson, J. E. M. (2020). "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 5978. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3. ISSN   2041-1723. PMC   7723057 . PMID   33293507.
  11. ↑ "Woodfuel in the Congo forests". Global Forest Atlas. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "UN-REDD Programme". UN-REDD Programme. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  13. 1 2 Nasi, R.; Taber, A.; Van Vliet, N. (1 September 2011). "Empty forests, empty stomachs? Bushmeat and livelihoods in the Congo and Amazon Basins". International Forestry Review. 13 (3): 355–368. doi:10.1505/146554811798293872. ISSN   1465-5489. S2CID   18157508.
  14. ↑ "There's Another Side To Bush Meat That Doesn't Get Much Attention". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  15. 1 2 3 Fa, John E. (2008), "Bushmeat Markets – White Elephants or Red Herrings?", in Glyn Davies; David Brown (eds.), Bushmeat and Livelihoods: Wildlife Management and Poverty Reduction, Blackwell, pp. 47–60, doi:10.1002/9780470692592.ch3, ISBN   978-0-470-69259-2
  16. ↑ D, Olivier Basa; M, Casimir Nebesse; K, Consolate Kaswera; M, Judith Tsongo; M, Sylvestre Gambalemoke; A, Benjamin Dudu; Makungu, Lelo-Di (2017). "Bush meat sold on the markets in Kisangani: analysis addressed to the right on species conservation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo". International Journal of Environment, Agriculture and Biotechnology. 2 (2): 624–629. doi: 10.22161/ijeab/2.2.9 . ISSN   2456-1878.
  17. 1 2 Mednick, Sam. "Ebola poses challenges for bush meat in Congo". Philadelphia Tribunal. Archived from the original on 2 December 2018.
  18. ↑ "Elephant Poaching on Rise in Resistance Army Stronghold in Democratic Republic of Congo". Scientific American. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  19. 1 2 Maisels, Fiona; Strindberg, Samantha; Blake, Stephen; Wittemyer, George; Hart, John; Williamson, Elizabeth A.; Aba’a, Rostand; Abitsi, Gaspard; Ambahe, Ruffin D. (4 March 2013). "Devastating Decline of Forest Elephants in Central Africa". PLOS ONE. 8 (3): e59469. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...859469M. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059469 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3587600 . PMID   23469289.
  20. 1 2 Carrington, Damian (31 May 2018). "Mountain gorilla population rises above 1,000". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  21. 1 2 "Q&A: DR Congo conflict". BBC News. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  22. 1 2 Nuwer, R. "War's Other Victims: Animals". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  23. ↑ Beyers, Rene L.; Hart, John A.; Sinclair, Anthony R. E.; Grossmann, Falk; Klinkenberg, Brian; Dino, Simeon (9 November 2011). "Resource Wars and Conflict Ivory: The Impact of Civil Conflict on Elephants in the Democratic Republic of Congo – The Case of the Okapi Reserve". PLOS ONE. 6 (11): e27129. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...627129B. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027129 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3212536 . PMID   22096529.
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