The Congo basin may be the world's most important rainforest why is it the least researched?

"In October 2023, leaders, scientists and policymakers from three of the world's great rainforest regions — the Amazon, the Congo, and the Borneo-Mekong basins — assembled in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo. They were there to discuss one urgent question: how to save the planet's last great tropical forests from accelerating destruction. For those present, the question was existential. But to their dismay, almost no one noticed."

"Despite being the second-largest rainforest on Earth — and one of the most vital carbon sinks — the Congo basin remains the rainforest the world forgot, often overlooked when it comes to global climate policy and funding. Spanning six countries across central Africa and home to roughly 130 million people, the basin is often called the lungs of Africa. Its vast canopy shelters thousands of rare species."

Leaders, scientists and policymakers met in Brazzaville in October 2023 to address saving the planet's remaining tropical forests. The Congo basin is the planet's second-largest rainforest and a major carbon sink, yet it receives little global attention or funding. The basin spans six central African countries and supports roughly 130 million people. It hosts about 10,000 plant species, with 30% endemic, and shelters endangered animals such as forest elephants, okapis, mountain gorillas and bonobos. The basin helps feed river systems across Africa, sustaining regions as far away as the Sahel. Local populations bear conservation costs without adequate compensation.

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