In Congo's Virunga park, oil permits are up for auction! Endangered gorillas are at risk!
In Congo's Virunga park, oil permits are up for auction! Endangered gorillas are at risk!
Updated on July 28, 2022 11:36 AM by Andrew Koschiev
Climatic changes!
The Democratic Republic of Congo says it plans to auction off a vast majority of oil and gas drilling blocks in the county's rainforest and peatland. The ministry of Hydrocarbon said 27 oil and three gas blocks would be auctioned, an increase from the 16 blocks the country initially committed in May.
Oil exploitation!
On Tuesday, the county's Hydrocarbon minister, Didier Budimbu, said the oil exploitation would benefit the Congolese population. The DCR has more than 27 million people, including over 3 million children who do not have enough food to feed themselves, a third of the country's population, and more than 5 million people internally displaced.Add Block
New release from Greenpeace USA!
Calling on President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo to end the development of new oil and gas fields in the country, where more than 100,000 people signed the petition.
Forest protection deal!
Irene Wabiwa Betoko, International Project Leader for the Congo Basin forest, Greenpeace Africa, said; that only six months after signing a %500 million forest protection deal at the COP26.
The immediate price will be paid by Congolese communities who are not aware of the auction and are not informed of the risks to their health and livelihoods.Add Block
Virunga National Park!
Virunga National Park sits on the forest-covered volcanoes of Central Africa and is the home to over half of the global population of mountain gorillas. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Africa's most biologically diverse protected area.
Evergreen environment!
It is made up of carbon-rich peatland and primary forests that release enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere due to the climate crisis. Deforestation removes an essential sponge to soak up CO2 from the atmosphere.
The expansion for oil drilling permits many examples of ramping-up fossil fuel exploration and use of the global energy crisis. On 28th and 29th July, the auction takes place.