Impacts
Deforestation in the Congo Rainforest
The Congo Rainforest is a threatened ecosystem. The Congo Rainforest has been damaged badly in areas by commercial logging, clearing for farming, and civil war. Africa has had the highest deforestation rates of any area in the world. This threatens the natural habitat of all the Pygmy groups and the native animals in the forests. It is driven by the need for people that live in the cities and local farmers to make money from logging, farming and hunting.
Logging
Logging in the Congo Basin has increased significantly as peace has returned to the region. The timber industry is a major employer in Congo countries and thousands of people rely on logging companies for basic healthcare and other services.
Subsistence Agriculture
Most of the deforestation in the Congo is caused by local subsistence activities by poor farmers and villagers who rely on forest lands for agriculture and fuelwood collection. Slash-and-burn is commonly used for clearing forest.
Civil War
Central Africa has been plagued with violence since the around the mid 90s. Hundreds of thousands of refugees have moved through the forests of the Congo, stripping vegetation and devastating wildlife populations.
Mining
The Congo Basin has some of the world richest mineral deposits. Mining operations are poorly monitored and virtually no consideration is given to short-term health effects on the land or the environmental impact.
The Bushmeat Trade
Visitors to many Central African cities can purchase the meat of virtually any forest animal. The availability of bushmeat is made possible by the logging industry whose road construction opens rainforest to hunters and settlers. Hunters make a living by selling bushmeat to passing loggers, traders, and local villagers. The majority of bushmeat is brought to city markets by loggers. There is little or no consideration given to the safety of local animal groups.