Kotya Libaya (documentary) (2017)
Seen from above, forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo stretch their canopies to the horizon. Dense, Deep, they seem Godforsaken. They are considered a lung for our planet and harbor thousands of animal and vegetal species. Some of them, like the endemic Mountain Gorilla, are facing extinction.
Yet, for lack of economic and political stability, uncontrolled woodland exploitation threatens this carbon sink of inestimable environmental value. First of all, the rapidly expanding population widely uses burnt-land agriculture and clearing to meet its daily needs: firewood and arable land. These cultures are the main carbon dioxide emitter and lead to severe malnutrition issues, especially in the southern part of the country. Secondly, in the Eastern region of the Kivus, various militias control the trade of charcoal. As they hide in the forests, it provides them for an easy income, in this area of the country where less than 5% of the population accesses electricity. Finally, in the center and Northern part of the country, foreign logging companies profit from the deliquescence of the Congolese authorities and exploit trees often illegally. As many logs with unclear origins that could end up on the European market, a large-scale importer.