Congo to Ban Log Exports to Reduce Pressure on its Forests
2021-11-03
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1The Democratic Republic of Congo's environment minister said on Thursday the country plans to ban all log exports.
2The country also plans to take measures to lessen threats to its tropical rainforest.
3The forest takes in carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.
4It is a major move to fight climate change.
5Congo is home to the majority of the world's second-largest rainforest.
6The country is under pressure to improve how it administers the forest.
7It is also under pressure to slow down the high rate at which the forest is being destroyed, or deforested.
8Information from the U.N. shows the deforestation rate has doubled in the last ten years.
9Eve Bazaiba is the environment minister.
10She announced the suspension of log exports to reporters in the capital Kinshasa.
11She did not say when it would come into effect.
12"It allows us not only to enable natural restoration but also a reforestation program that we have with all of our technical, financial, and development partners," she said.
13Information from the Central African Forest Initiative shows the Congo Basin rainforest removes 4 percent of carbon dioxide that humans put into the atmosphere around the world each year.
14About 60 percent of the rainforest is in Congo.
15Bazaiba also has a plan, however, to remove a temporary ban on new industrial logging, which would give land to logging companies to remove trees.
16This plan has caused concern in environmental groups and scientists.
17They have warned of serious environmental, social, and climatic harm.
18Bazaiba has said in the past that the temporary ban has not been able to stop the spread of illegal logging.
19More than 24 scientists have urged those who financially support the Democratic Republic of Congo's forests industry to suspend financing if the government goes ahead with this plan.
20But some scientists and other groups support the measure.
21The European Union's ambassador to Congo has shown openness to the government's plan.
22They said earlier this month that it represented a "desire to regain control" of the forests.
23Earlier in October, President Felix Tshisekedi ordered an inspection into all existing logging contracts, or legal agreements.
24He was trying to gain more order in the poorly administered industry.
25"We don't want any more contracts with partners who came to savagely cut our forests, we will retire these types of contracts," Bazaiba said.
26Forest Trends is an American organization that works to save forest land.
27In 2018, it found that Congo's biggest markets for wood products were Vietnam, the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, and China.
28I'm Gregory Stachel.
1The Democratic Republic of Congo's environment minister said on Thursday the country plans to ban all log exports. The country also plans to take measures to lessen threats to its tropical rainforest. The forest takes in carbon dioxide and produces oxygen. It is a major move to fight climate change. 2Congo is home to the majority of the world's second-largest rainforest. The country is under pressure to improve how it administers the forest. 3It is also under pressure to slow down the high rate at which the forest is being destroyed, or deforested. Information from the U.N. shows the deforestation rate has doubled in the last ten years. 4Eve Bazaiba is the environment minister. She announced the suspension of log exports to reporters in the capital Kinshasa. She did not say when it would come into effect. 5"It allows us not only to enable natural restoration but also a reforestation program that we have with all of our technical, financial, and development partners," she said. 6Information from the Central African Forest Initiative shows the Congo Basin rainforest removes 4 percent of carbon dioxide that humans put into the atmosphere around the world each year. About 60 percent of the rainforest is in Congo. 7Removal of ban 8Bazaiba also has a plan, however, to remove a temporary ban on new industrial logging, which would give land to logging companies to remove trees. This plan has caused concern in environmental groups and scientists. They have warned of serious environmental, social, and climatic harm. 9Bazaiba has said in the past that the temporary ban has not been able to stop the spread of illegal logging. 10More than 24 scientists have urged those who financially support the Democratic Republic of Congo's forests industry to suspend financing if the government goes ahead with this plan. 11But some scientists and other groups support the measure. 12The European Union's ambassador to Congo has shown openness to the government's plan. They said earlier this month that it represented a "desire to regain control" of the forests. 13Gaining control 14Earlier in October, President Felix Tshisekedi ordered an inspection into all existing logging contracts, or legal agreements. He was trying to gain more order in the poorly administered industry. 15"We don't want any more contracts with partners who came to savagely cut our forests, we will retire these types of contracts," Bazaiba said. 16Forest Trends is an American organization that works to save forest land. In 2018, it found that Congo's biggest markets for wood products were Vietnam, the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, and China. 17I'm Gregory Stachel. 18Hereward Holland reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor. 19______________________________________________________________________ 20Words in This Story 21log - n. a long, heavy section of a tree that has fallen or been cut down 22carbon dioxide - n. a gas that is produced when people and animals breathe out or when certain fuels are burned and that is used by plants for energy 23allow - v. to permit (something): to regard or treat (something) as acceptable 24restoration - n. the act or process of returning something to its original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, or other acts 25savage - adj. very cruel or violent 26type - n. a particular kind or group of things or people