The Congo Basin is currently the largest remaining net carbon sink among the world's major tropical forests, absorbing an average of 160 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually. While it has remained more resilient than the Amazon, recent data shows a decline in carbon absorbing capacity since 2010. Deforestation driven by agriculture, mining, and urban expansion now threatens this critical ecosystem. The loss of key species like forest elephants further destabilizes the forest structure, reducing the regeneration of large trees and weakening the basin's long term ability to store carbon.
