成人快手

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo says it wants to drill for oil in the central basin region despite environmentalists' objections. The country is rich in mineral resources but has yet to tap much of the oil reserves underneath its lands. The government now plans to auction 27 land blocks for drilling at the end of this month, nine of which are in the central basin rainforest region. Simon Lewis, professor of global change science at University College London, explains the global importance of the region and the possible environmental impact of oil exploration. The central basin, he says, "hosts the world's second largest extent of tropical rainforest" and plays a critical role in climate change as "it's removing around four billion tonnes of Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere" per year. Areas such as the Niger Delta that have been drilling for oil have experienced "huge levels of pollution that is poisoning people" and has caused social conflict. He fears oil drilling could create new conflict in the centre of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Prof Lewis says "the Congo could see a destruction of its rainforest without very much payback".

(Photo: Bull elephant bathes and drinks water on the northern shores of Lake Edward inside Virunga National Park. Credit: Getty Images)