State of the Forests 2021

• The report titled “Congo Basin Forests – State of the Forests 2021” was released recently by the Central African Forests Commission.

• Increased investment and research is required for the protection of peatlands in central Congo basin, which are currently under threat because of hydrocarbon exploration, logging, palm oil plantation, hydroelectric dams and climate change.

• There is also an urgent need to strengthen institutions and frameworks at the national level for the effective application and implementation of international agreements and commitments focusing on the conservation of these vulnerable regions.

• The conservation of these peatlands is critical as they are capable of storing around 30 gigatones of carbon in a peat. This is equal to the above-ground biomass of trees in the entire Congo basin forest.