11 April 2007 - International
— The Congo rainforest is the life support
system for millions of people in the 'green
heart' of Africa. In the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DRC) alone, 40 million people
depend on the forest. Like all large intact
forests, it's also crucially important for
regulating the local and global climate.
As the world's second largest rainforest,
the Congo rainforest is also home to some
of Africa's most iconic wildlife including
gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and forest
elephants.
Today, we're releasing a new report, Carving
Up the Congo, which exposes how international
logging companies are causing social chaos
and wreaking environmental havoc. It also
reveals how the World Bank, by far the largest
donor to the DRC, is failing to stop this
destruction whilst the rainforest is being
sold off under the illusion that it will
alleviate poverty in one of the poorest
countries on Earth.
Take Action - Help stop the destruction
of the Congo rainforest
See the 'What a Carve Up' ecard animation
Our report shows how, in spite of a moratorium
on new logging that has been in place since
2002, over 15 million hectares of rainforest
have been granted to the logging industry
- that's an area five times the size of
Belgium, and much of this is in areas that
are vital for protecting biodiversity.
Taxes paid by the companies for the rights
to log the forest should be going to local
forest communities to provide essential
services that those of us in developed nations
take for granted like education and healthcare.
But even the World Bank admits that over
the last three years, not a single penny
paid by the logging companies has reached
local communities. This leaves these people
not only without the forest that provided
their food, shelter and medicine, but without
the benefits they had been promised.
In exchange for timber worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars, logging companies
are also giving communities gifts such as
bags of salt and crates of beer worth less
than US$100, and make promises to build
schools and hospitals.
These promises are rarely fulfilled and
there are reports that intimidation tactics
are used against people who try to protest.
We have heard stories of people being pushed
into signing contracts (of which we have
copies), even if they can't read the French
in which they are written.
Not only that, but corruption is endemic
and the local authorities are inadequately
trained and equipped to enforce the law.
Poorly paid officials sometimes have only
a bicycle to help them patrol vast areas
of rainforest, making it impossible to control
the industry.
It sounds like bad news for the Congolese,
but there is still time to prevent the destruction
of the rainforest and see that alternative
solutions are developed which will really
help to lift the country out of poverty.
It's not too late to prevent the destruction
of this incredible rainforest, and by putting
pressure on the World Bank, that's exactly
what we intend to do.
