The period covered by the second national communication from the Democratic Republic of Congo coincides with a period of conflicts that has caused three million deaths and four million displacements, particularly in the East of the country. Notable environmental degradation has been recorded.

The impacts of climate change are already noticeable throughout the country, in particular by the persistence of excessive heat waves, violent rain, soil degradation, especially by furrowing erosion, a prolongation of the dry season, an increase of the drought sequences during the rainy seasons, and floods. Furthermore, at the socio-economic level, despite the enormous potential in various resources that abounds in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Gross Domestic Product per capita is less than 1 US dollar per day.

The unofficial sector (> 70%) and the rural sector, with a low capacity for creating well-paid jobs, prevail at the national level. As against an embryonic industrial sector. Rural activity is weighed down by the rigour of the climatic conditions, by environmental degradation, by the high cost of transport, and by a lack of credit mechanisms in support of private initiatives.