Overview of forest governance
The forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) cover 134 million hectares, almost 60% of its land area and more than twice the size of France. They form a complexpatchwork of ecosystems at the heart
of Africa’s forest zone, harbouring a rich but largely unexplored biodiversity. They also feature prominently in the lives of Congolese people as a major source of food, medicine, shelter, energy and income.

DRC lacks reliable national statistics on forest change, but is estimated to have lost an average of 319,000 hectares of forest (0.2%) each year between 2000 and 2005. This loss, due mainly to slash-and-burn agriculture and fuelwood collection, is modest compared with other African countries, reflecting DRC’s limited infrastructure and recent history of conflict and insecurity.