The forest ecosystems of the Congo Basin constitute the second largest area of contiguous tropical forest in the world and represent approximately
twenty percent of the world’s remaining closed canopy tropical forest. They are home to conservation
worthy animal species such as bonobos, mountain
gorillas and okapis. These forests do not only play
H ZPNUPÄJHU[ YVSLMVY NSVIHS IPVKP]LYZP[` JVUZLY]Htion, they also provide essential regional and global
ecological services as carbon sink and as a freshwater catchment basin. Millions of people depend
on these natural resources for their survival in a
unique ecosystem that is endangered by deforesta-
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