Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have requested the Minister of Environment, Eve Bazaiba Masudi, to become more involved in the fight against the decline of animal and plant species in the country.

In a joint letter, 24 environmental NGOs, including Cenadep, Viamo, Friends of Bonobos of Congo, Environews and WCS-DRC, said the reduction in the living space of wild animals is the main cause of biodiversity loss.

In its latest Living Planet report, published in September 2020, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) puts the loss of natural habitat at the top of the list of causes of the decline in wild animals.

In Africa, it accounts for 46 percent of the causes of biodiversity decline. The loss of wild animal habitat is reflected in particular in changes in land use (deforestation for agricultural purposes, artificialisation, etc.).

According to the WWF analysis, wild animal populations fell by an average of 68 percent between 1970 and 2016.

The United Nations reported in December 2019 that the DRC had the hydroelectric potential to light three quarters of Africa.

At a virtual climate summit, the DRC leader, Félix Tshisekedi, who is the current Chairperson of the African Union, called on developed countries to respect the commitments made at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

‘It is important that this summit accelerates the mobilisation of additional and substantial financial resources’, he said at the summit initiated by the U.S. President, Joe Biden

‘This also requires simplifying the procedures for accessing climate financing for the least developed countries, the majority of which are in Africa’.

He recalled the importance of the commitment of developed countries to mobilise 100 billion dollars per year from 2020 and to increase it by 2025.

Source: Afrik 21

Photo source: CIFOR