The Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest, is a vital planetary asset that remains alarmingly overlooked in global climate policy and funding, despite being one of the Earth’s most critical carbon sinks. Spanning six countries across Central Africa and home to approximately 130 million people, the basin is often referred to as the “lungs of Africa” and plays an indispensable role in maintaining biodiversity and continental climate stability.
Ecologically, the basin is unique, sheltering thousands of rare species, including forest elephants, okapis, mountain gorillas, and bonobos. Its flora is exceptional, with about 30\% of its 10,000 plant species found nowhere else. Furthermore, the basin’s rainfall feeds main river systems, circulating water across the continent and sustaining life as far away as the Sahel.
Crucially, the Congo’s forests remain largely intact compared to the Amazon, leading scientists to believe it is the last major rainforest that still functions as a net carbon sink, actively absorbing more carbon than it emits. A recent report found that the basin absorbs roughly 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, though accelerating deforestation is causing this vital capacity to decline.
Despite its monumental ecological significance, the Congo Basin receives disproportionately low international financial support. A report tracking international funding for the three main rainforest regions between 2008 and 2022 revealed a massive financial imbalance. Out of a combined total of \$20 billion in funding, the Amazon Basin received 47\% (\$9.3 billion) and Southeast Asia received 37\% (\$7.4 billion), while the Congo Basin secured only 16\% (\$3.2 billion).
This financial neglect is further compounded by a critical gap in scientific understanding. Less than one percent (0.1\%) of the funding went towards scientific research, resulting in far fewer published academic papers for the Congo Basin compared to the Amazon. Experts stress the urgent need to invest now, not in ten years, recommending that the region train at least 1,000 PhD-level scientists to build local expertise.
Part of the reason for this lack of resources stems from persistent, negative perceptions of Central Africa often described with the outdated and harmful imagery of “heart of darkness” and real obstacles like regional instability, security concerns, and weak infrastructure, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). However, regional leaders argue that these issues are often wielded as a “lazy excuse” for inaction.
Republic of Congo’s environment minister, Arlette Soudan-Nonault, asserted that supporting the Congo Basin is not a matter of charity but of recognizing its essential role in protecting the Earth’s climate through its carbon sink, noting that the people of the region have “tightened their belts so that the world can breathe – and we receive no compensation.” As deforestation rates accelerate, immediate international support is deemed vital to safeguard this final frontier against climate breakdown.