- Environmentalists warned that drilling in the Congo Basin’s rainforests and critical peatlands that is roughly about the size of England could release vast amounts of heat-trapping gas that will create immense damage to the environment.
DRC had opened bids for 30 oil and gas blocks a few months back in July. Some of the Oil blocks were reportedly located in sensitive environmental areas. The move was widely condemned by environmentalists. They warned that drilling in the Congo Basin’s rainforests and critical peatlands that is roughly about the size of England could release vast amounts of heat-trapping gas that will create immense damage to the environment. According to scientific data, approximately 30 billion tonnes of carbon are stored across the Congo Basin. A 2016 study in Nature magazine reported that it will be roughly equivalent to three years of global emissions.
Also read;
https://trendsnafrica.com/drc-hikes-offer-for-licensing-rights-for-oil-and-gas-blocks/
John Kerry, climate envoy of the United States reported that Washington had advised the Democratic Republic of Congo to withdraw the oil blocks that it put up for auction in the protected areas. This was revealed by Kerry while speaking to reporters at the pre-COP27 climate talks in Kinshasa.
The former US secretary of state also disclosed that he will be meeting Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi to discuss the matter. He pointed out that economic development could be achieved without putting risk-sensitive environmental areas such as critical peatlands. The DRC government justified the move by saying that exploiting its oil and gas resources is an economic necessity for its development. Despite huge reserves of minerals, ranging from gold and copper to cobalt, almost three-quarters of the Congolese population live on less than $1.90 a day, according to World Bank.
