Second forum on the Congo Basin: preservation of wetlands recommended (an expert)

Kinshasa, June 11^th, 2025 (CPA) – The preservation of wetlands has been recommended on Wednesday during the work of the second international forum on the Congo Basin, scheduled for June 10^th to 13^th, 2025 in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), by a professor from the Faculty of Agronomy at the University of Kinshasa (Unikin). « Wetlands are extremely important for communities living in the Congo Basin because they provide water, allow fishing and hunting, and maintain biodiversity. These are places that absolutely must be preserved », has declared Jean-Robert Bwangoy-Bankanza, Professor at Unikin. Speaking on the theme of ‘“Wetlands of the Congo Basin: Extent and Distribution’”, a presentation that emphasises the importance of wetlands for communities living in the Congo Basin, the scientist has indicated that thanks to the absorption of carbon by wetlands, humid zones contribute to climate regulation. With regard to the wetlands in Kinshasa, which are being drained to make way for housing development, Prof. Bwangoy suggests the preservation of these wetland areas and urges the government to find the necessary development measures in view of the force of the water and the extreme climatic events that are now frequent. Wetlands cover 76,477,506 ha in the Congo Basin, including 48,052,544 ha in DRC. However, they have not yet been properly characterised in a spatially explicit manner anywhere in the world, and particularly in the Congo Basin.