After decades of challenges, the DRC must deliver on sustainable forest governance

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) possesses approximately 60% of the Congo Basin rainforest, storing an estimated 27 to 30 billion tonnes of carbon. Despite this importance, the DRC experienced a loss of over one million hectares of vegetation cover in 2023. The document highlights a systemic failure to enforce forest laws, noting that a moratorium on new logging concessions has been in place for over 20 years yet illegal logging continues. Specifically, a January 2024 review of 82 logging permits resulted in 23 terminations, while only 53 received conditional approval. The text identifies Chinese companies, including Booming Green and Wan Peng (operating via Congo King Baisheng Forestry Development), as entities that allegedly obtain concessions through influence peddling and ignore export quotas. Furthermore, a April 2022 decree suspending 12 illegally granted concessions covering over 1,966,630 hectares remains unenforced, with satellite data showing continued activity in these areas. In contrast, the document notes that community-managed forests have a deforestation rate 23% lower than the national average and 46% lower than that of logging concessions, suggesting community forestry as a viable alternative for sustainable management.

• The DRC's rainforests are critical for global climate stability, containing about 60% of the Congo Basin rainforest and absorbing approximately 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 annually, yet the country suffers from high deforestation, losing over one million hectares of vegetation in 2023.
• A long-standing moratorium on new logging concessions has failed to stop illegal logging due to weak oversight and inconsistent enforcement; a January 2024 review of 82 permits led to 23 terminations and only 53 conditional approvals.
• Chinese companies, specifically Booming Green and Wan Peng (including its subsidiary Congo King Baisheng Forestry Development), are accused of using influence peddling to obtain concessions and violating the Forest Code by ignoring log export quotas.
• Government enforcement is described as selective and ineffective, exemplified by a April 2022 decree that provisionally suspended 12 illegal concessions covering more than 1,966,630 hectares but has not been implemented, with satellite data showing ongoing forest degradation in those areas.
• Community-led forest management is presented as a successful alternative to industrial logging, with deforestation rates in these areas being 23% lower than the national average and 46% lower than in logging concessions.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). After decades of challenges, the DRC must deliver on sustainable forest governance. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/after-decades-of-challenges-the-drc-must-deliver-on-sustainable-forest-governance/

Chicago

Global Witness. After decades of challenges, the DRC must deliver on sustainable forest governance. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/after-decades-of-challenges-the-drc-must-deliver-on-sustainable-forest-governance/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=After decades of challenges, the DRC must deliver on sustainable forest governance |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/after-decades-of-challenges-the-drc-must-deliver-on-sustainable-forest-governance/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndafter, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{After decades of challenges, the DRC must deliver on sustainable forest governance}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/after-decades-of-challenges-the-drc-must-deliver-on-sustainable-forest-governance/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }