About 60% of the Congo rainforest lies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and it is being destroyed at an alarming rate of more than 1 million acres per year since 2016. This critical stronghold for some of Earth’s most threatened species is the last major tropical forest that continues to absorb more carbon than it emits, acting as a carbon “sink.” And yet 80% of the Congo rainforest remains unprotected.

Years of civil unrest and lawlessness in the Congo have blocked many global conservation efforts to save this irreplaceable natural resource. It is vulnerable to mining, charcoal production, slash-and-burn agriculture, and both legal and illegal resource extraction. To overcome these challenges, Rainforest Trust has been working with local partners in eastern DRC since 2014 to protect dense forests in the buffer zone around the 2.7-million-acre Maiko National Park and the 1.5-million-acre Kahuzi-Biega National Park. These forests provide vital refuge for threatened species like African Forest Elephant, Grauer’s Gorilla, Chimpanzee, Okapi, Giant Ground Pangolin, and Grey Parrot.

We are currently supporting our partner, Réseau pour la Conservation et la Réhabilitation des Ecosystèmes Forestiers, in establishing eight Community Forests totaling 316,294 acres to the north of Maiko National Park. Creating this protection in collaboration with Bambuti Indigenous communities will block a deforestation front approaching from the east as new roads are opened and mineral resources are exploited.

Header photo: African Forest Elephant, by Ondrej Prosicky

Connect a Vital Rainforest Corridor for Imperiled Mammals

This project will close significant gaps in protection between Maiko National Park and the 3.4-million-acre Okapi Wildlife Reserve to the north—connectivity that is crucial for wide-ranging mammals like elephants, okapi, and chimpanzees.

Preserve the Congo Rainforest as a Carbon Vault

The amount of carbon that could be released by deforestation in the project area is equivalent to the amount that would be emitted by driving over 18 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles for one year. Locking carbon up in the rainforests is our most impactful and cost-effective way to protect the planet from climate change.

Support Indigenous and Local Communities in Safeguarding Forest Resources

The establishment of Community Forests for Bambuti Indigenous Peoples and local communities will secure their land and property rights. It will forbid industrial activities while allowing for artisanal use of the forest for customary purposes, allowing communities to protect and sustainably manage natural resources for present and future generations.

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