The rainforest of Congo Basin countries — The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea — had a mixed 2016. Things were relatively quiet in The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which accounts for the bulk of Congo Basin forests. Republic of Congo meanwhile moved forward on with plans to potentially increase logging and mining in its forests. While the government of Gabon finally formally adopted a framework that aims to increase revenue sharing between loggers and local communities.
An initiative to map logging roads in the Congo Basin made traction in 2016. The data is available on Global Forest Watch, allowing researchers to correlate road development with forest disturbance and deforestation. A Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) study estimated the Congo Basin’s pygmy population at 920,000. It warned that these traditionally nomadic cultures are facing grave threats from deforestation and external pressures.
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