Mining and Armed Conflict Threaten Eastern DRC's Biodiversity in a Complex Web

Jan 13, 2023 | Judith Verweijen, Fergus O'Leary Simpson and Peer Schouten
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The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) conflict-affected eastern provinces are home to numerous protected areas. These areas host unique biodiversity and a range of threatened species, such as the okapi, forest elephant and mountain gorilla. They are also part of the Congo Basin rainforest, which is a crucial line of defense against climate change.

The same protected areas overlap with globally significant deposits of minerals—including gold, coltan and cassiterite. Mining is rampant in these areas, including in the Itombwe Nature Reserve, Maiko National Park and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.