Wikipedia:United States Education Program/Courses/Sustainable Systems in Developing Countries (Ming Xu)/Articles/Sandbox Deforestation in Democratic Republic of Congo

Wikipedia Site Outline

Deforestation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Deforestation in Central Africa is a significant transnational issue and has various causes. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) stands as a major target of the growing logging industry due to its large amount of natural resources. Unsustainable logging practices also threaten natural ecosystems and could soon reach a point beyond which systems can no longer recover from the damage. In addition, as one of the most mineral rich countries in the world, some of the deforestation in the DRC has been caused by the expansion of mining operations, in particular unregulated mining. Forests are also cleared for urban development and agricultural purposes (EON 2012). However, most of the deforesting occurs as a result of provisional living by the poor inhabitants; DRC citizens rank among the poorest in the world. Aside from the visible depletion of resources, deforestation of the DRC also leads to a lost habit for the mountain gorilla among other rare species, soil erosion, water pollution, and a reduction of water retention capacity.

Contents

1.	Introduction

2.	Accelerated destruction

3.	Causes of deforestation

4.	Deforestation and logging

a.	Local influences

5.	Deforestation and mining

a.	International influences

6.	Consequences of deforestation

7.	Attitudes to deforestation in DRC

a.	Government and deforestation

b.	International attitudes and efforts

8.	See also

9.	References

Introduction

Briefly sum up DRC’s history with major focuses on: wars, government corruption, neighboring conflicts (Rwandan/Ugandan invasions), economy, international relations, flora &fauna

Accelerated destruction

Present forest coverage statistics from the past and display supporting data explaining why most of the numbers have decreased.

Causes of deforestation

Summarize all of the causes of deforestation in the DRC from war-torn issues to neighboring thief.

Deforestation and logging

Highlight one of the main causes of deforestation from an economical perspective to a local subsistence perspective.

Deforestation and mining

Highlight the other main cause of deforestation with emphasize on the international trading influence of precious metals like cobalt ore and copper ore in addition to industrial diamonds.

Consequences of deforestation

Discuss country specific consequences of the deforestation in DRC. This can include information such as, displacement and occupying the natural habitats also changes the statuses of vector-borne diseases (Molyneux 1997) and these phenomena undermine the country’s productivity and its ability to adjust to climate change (Henning 2012; Semazzi and Song 2001).

Attitudes to deforestation in the DRC

Discuss the country’s impression of the situation, especially the government’s respond to the issue. Also highlight international responses to the issues. Also discuss the current state of affairs aimed at intervention to stop deforestation within this country.

See also

List other sites like Deforestation by region wiki, forests in DRC, etc.

References

List references like Democratic Republic of Congo wiki, etc.

Henning R. C. (2012). “Forest and Deforestation in Africa-the Wasting of an Immense Resource.”  (March 10, 2012).

Semazzi, F. H. M., and Song, Y. (2001). “A GCM Study of Climate Change Induced by Deforestation in Africa.” Climate Research 17. 160-182.

Encyclopedia of Nations (EON). (2012). “Congo, Republic of the (ROC)-Environment.”  (March 10, 2012).