The Republic of Congo serves as host of the second-ever summit of the three major tropical forest basins in the world – the Amazon, Congo, and Borneo-Mekong.
The basins which are reported to be vital for the planet’s climate regulation, are often referred to as the « lungs of the planet. »
The summit, which will take place from Thursday October 26th to Saturday, October 28th, will bring together over 3,000 participants, including experts, ministers, and African head of states.
According to its rundown, the summit will begin with experts discussing various environmental issues before handing over to the ministers the next day, October 27th.
From there, the heads of state will then intervene on the last day Saturday October 28th, to conclude the event. Several African presidents, including those from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Togo, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros, and Gabon, are expected to attend. However, sources have it that none from the Amazon or Asia will be present.
It should be noted, the summit will focus on the ecosystems of the three basins and is aimed at building a global coalition to accelerate the energy transition.
According to the Congolese Minister of Environment, Arlette Soudan Nonault, the summit will end with a strong statement of principle to sustain collaboration among the three basins, despite the absence of some countries.
It is worth mentioning, the basins represent 80% of the world’s tropical forests and three-quarters of its biodiversity.
FRU William
