Miombo woodlands make up the largest dry forest area in the world. They cover an estimated area of 2.4 million square kilometres, representing approximately 10% of the total forest area in Africa.

DRC’s Miombo forests are in the south-east (copper belt areas) well known for extraction of minerals such as cobalt and copper critical for the world’s energy and digital transition. The DRC’s Miombo woodlands cover approximately 58% of the former province of Katanga and provide several ecosystem services. They are the home of exceptional biodiversity and play a vital role in climate regulation and the food security of local communities by providing various non-timber forest products, including fruit, honey, mushrooms and medicines, and remain a source of space for rural activities. 

But they are experiencing severe deforestation and degradation, particularly linked to intense mining.

This new study from Afrewatch, supported by Fern, analyses forest cover dynamics between 2000 and 2024. It reveals that forests are disappearing:

• 873,926 hectares of Miombo forest has been destroyed in the Katangese copper belt and the area around the Lobito corridor
• Resulting in total emissions of around 108 megatonnes of CO₂e (equivalent to Bangladesh’s annual emissions)

This deforestation represents:

• 12 times the area of Lubumbashi, equivalent to half the city lost each year
• 83 times the area of Paris, or 3.5 times Paris lost each year

These figures demonstrate that the current trajectory of extraction is incompatible with international climate targets and requires immediate reform of the sector’s investment and governance conditions. 

Commissioned by Fern, this report was written by Afrewatch.

For Fern and AFREWATCH’s analysis of how international partners should respond, read our briefing.