Lee J. T. White

This chapter introduces the 2025 Congo Basin Assessment Report, discusses the multiple definitions of the Congo Basin, defines the limits of the Congo Basin covered by the report, discusses issues of indigeneity, and describes the regional scientific capacities. The chapter argues that the best way to define the Congo Basin is to use the regional ecological features rather than focusing on the political delimitation or focusing narrowly on the basin of the Congo River itself. Broadening the question of who indigenous communities are and who they are not, the chapter argues that the name Pygmy is contested and that the politics of identity is both complex, contextual, layered, plural, and varied; calling, therefore, for caution in ways they should be used. Rather than going into detailed contents, the chapter briefly summarizes the biodiversity metrics in the Congo Basin, presents the four sections of the report and overall spirit that guided the writing up process, and provides the current status of the available capacities to conduct research in the Congo Basin.

The Congo Basin forests are currently undervalued. Economic and social returns from forestry and timber processing are relatively low compared to some nations outside Africa. Furthermore, the ecosystem services provided by the forests, such as the net absorption and storage of atmospheric carbon, continue to be considered by the international community as a free commodity. We propose an economic model involving maximizing the proportion of third-level timber processing and planting new forests that can increase forest economies and job creation by an order of magnitude. We argue that only by making forests valuable to the people and nations of the Congo Basin will we be able to avoid the large-scale deforestation that has occurred in West Africa and in other tropical forest regions, where the economic and social benefits of conversion were higher than those linked to preservation and sustainable harvest. We discuss knowledge gaps that need to be filled, possible technological solutions and policy reforms, and fiscal incentives needed to implement our model across the Congo Basin.

The Congo Basin is more highly urbanized than most of the African continent. Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Congo have been majority urban populations for decades, and DRC will pass beyond 50% by 2030. CAR will also reach that mark within 20 years. The rapid growth of urban populations in the Congo Basin nations is discussed and key challenges for city-dwellers are assessed. Unplanned, rapid urbanization and the development of extensive slums with few services and weak political voice is the norm in the larger cities, increasing social inequity and causing crippling damage to human well-being and environmental health in peri-urban haloes, sometimes extending hundreds of kilometers from the urban center. Solutions to this growing challenge are evaluated and recommendations are made which, if implemented, could help to improve health, resilience, quality of life, and security in urban settings, as well as improving biodiversity outcomes. In the light of the sparse literature on the subject, the authors call for an urgent increase in scientific research on this pressing topic within the Congo Basin, which is a clear priority for the region’s majority urban population of the future.

The Congo Basin in central Africa is well known for its ecosystem complexity and biodiversity, which are closely linked to its geological history and diversity. High mineral resource potential and the development of the mining sector, principally oil and gas, and base, critical and precious metals, play an important role in the economy in the region. Negative environmental practices linked both to industrial and artisanal mining are common. Strict application of environment regulations, modern best practices, and good governance are critical if this sector is to fulfil its potential in the region without doing irreparable damage to both human and environmental health. Looking to the future, it is essential that an increased share of the jobs and economic benefits from the use of the Congo Basin’s rich mineral resources remain in the region, rather than developing economies predominantly outside Africa. This may require policies to restrict and even ban the export of unprocessed ores and crude oil in favor of the development of local transformation industries.

The Congo Basin forests are currently undervalued. Economic and social returns from forestry and timber processing are relatively low compared to some nations outside Africa. Furthermore, the ecosystem services provided by the forests, such as the net absorption and storage of atmospheric carbon, continue to be considered by the international community as a free commodity. We propose an economic model involving maximizing the proportion of third-level timber processing and planting new forests that can increase forest economies and job creation by an order of magnitude. We argue that only by making forests valuable to the people and nations of the Congo Basin will we be able to avoid the large-scale deforestation that has occurred in West Africa and in other tropical forest regions, where the economic and social benefits of conversion were higher than those linked to preservation and sustainable harvest. We discuss knowledge gaps that need to be filled, possible technological solutions and policy reforms, and fiscal incentives needed to implement our model across the Congo Basin.

The Congo Basin forests are currently undervalued. Economic and social returns from forestry and timber processing are relatively low compared to some nations outside Africa. Furthermore, the ecosystem services provided by the forests, such as the net absorption and storage of atmospheric carbon, continue to be considered by the international community as a free commodity. We propose an economic model involving maximizing the proportion of third-level timber processing and planting new forests that can increase forest economies and job creation by an order of magnitude. We argue that only by making forests valuable to the people and nations of the Congo Basin will we be able to avoid the large-scale deforestation that has occurred in West Africa and in other tropical forest regions, where the economic and social benefits of conversion were higher than those linked to preservation and sustainable harvest. We discuss knowledge gaps that need to be filled, possible technological solutions and policy reforms, and fiscal incentives needed to implement our model across the Congo Basin.