Value and vulnerability of the peatlands of the central Congo Basin

In 2017, a Congolese-UK team of scientists discovered and mapped the world’s largest tropical peatland complex, in the central Congo Basin, covering an area greater than the size of England and Wales combined. These forested peatlands stretch across the Republic of Congo (RoC) and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and store in their soils carbon equivalent to three years’ worth of global greenhouse gas emissions. The ecosystem is a refuge for threatened species, including the world’s densest population of western lowland gorillas. Around 5.5 million people live within or around the Congo Basin peatland complex, many of whom depend on peatland resources for their livelihoods. Here, we share our major findings and their relevance to the conservation of this fragile ecosystem.