WCS-Congo > Conservation Challenges

The forests of the Republic of Congo lie within the larger ecosystem of the Congo Basin, an area comprising over 190 million hectares of tropical forest, and the second largest expanse of old growth tropical forest in the world after the Amazon Basin. Lying on the equator, the Congo Basin rainforests harbor one of the richest concentrations of the world’s biodiversity. It is home to our three closest ape relatives, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos and a host of forest fauna. In addition to their ecological values, these forests are also important for their economic and cultural values.

However, as human population in the region increases and loggers expand into ever-more isolated parts of the forest, the future of these large tracts of undisturbed forest is increasingly uncertain. In the north of the Republic of Congo over 90% of the landmass now lies within logging concessions, while the increasing commercial trade in bushmeat also threatens the future of these forests.

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