Small scale agriculture continues to drive deforestation and degradation in fragmented forests in the Congo Basin (2015–2020)

• DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106922
• Publication Date: 2023-10-07T03:11:05Z
• Authors: Aurélie Shapiro; Rémi d’Annunzio; Baudouin Desclée; Quentin Jungers; Héritier Koy Kondjo; Josefina Mbulito ...; Francis Inicko Ga...; Tatiana Nana; Conan Vassily Obame; Carine Milandou; Pierrick Rambaud; Denis Jean Sonwa; Benoît Mertens; Elisée Tchana; Damase Khasa; Clément Bourgoin; Chérubins Brice O...; Daddy D. Kipute
• Keywords: Deforestation; Environmental degradation; Forest degradation

The Central African region hosts the largest continuous tract of forest in Africa, regulating global climate while providing essential resources and livelihoods for millions people harbouring extensive biodiversity. Extractive industries, infrastructure development industrial agriculture have often been cited as major threats to these forests are expected increase. A regional collaborative effort has produced first systematically validated remote sensing assessment deforestation degradation drivers six central countries 2015–2020 time period. Multiple, overlapping assessed through visual interpretation show that rural complex, a combination small-scale agriculture, villages, roads contributes majority observed degradation. Industrial such mining forestry less common, although their impacts on carbon biodiversity could be more permanent significant than informal activities. Artisanal is only driver consistently increasing over study Our produces information relevant change mitigation land use planning which requires detailed multiple direct target specific activities investments.