Can the trees be saved?

The destruction of Congo's 110 million hectare forest could transform the climate of Africa – and the world

Congo's rainforest covers 110 million hectares, twice the size of France. Cutting it down, as the Amazon jungle across the Atlantic is being cut down, could transform the climate of Africa and the world. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation reckons that Central Africa's rainforests (60% in Congo) store 30 gigatonnes of CO2, equivalent to four years' emissions for the entire world. Locally, they sustain millions of foresters, hunters and gatherers. The World Bank and Belgian government organised an international conference on sustainable management for the Congo's forests, in Brussels on 27-28 February.

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