Data shows forest fires are worsening significantly across Africa’s tropical nations, threatening carbon stores and livelihoods

Fires rise across forest basins

The analysis finds more fires in forested areas of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as across other parts of the Congo Basin. Liberia and Guinea, which contain substantial remaining stretches of the Upper Guinean rainforest, also show more areas experiencing increases in fires than decreases.

The findings point to combined pressures from human activity and climate change. In parts of the region, forest loss has reached record levels in recent years: Cameroon in 2025 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2024.

A vital carbon sink at risk

The Congo Rainforest Basin is described as the world’s best-preserved major rainforest and the largest remaining net carbon sink in the tropics. It removed an average of 160 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent annually from 2015 to 2024, roughly equal to Nigeria’s emissions.

Dr Jean Bakouma, the World Resources Institute’s country manager in the Republic of Congo, said forest loss remained stubbornly consistent in parts of the basin, with fire becoming a more important driver. The article says long-standing development challenges and forestry policies in countries such as Gabon have helped preserve forests longer than in other regions.

Climate and farming pressures

Slash-and-burn agriculture is a key source of fires in the Congo Basin, particularly in the DRC. The practice has been used for generations, but intensifying drought and heat are increasing the chance that fires spread beyond control.

Risks to people and response

Fires threaten health and livelihoods as well as the environment. The GDACS database estimates the number of people affected by comparing satellite images of fires with population distribution maps.

Radio Okapi reported in August that a bush fire destroyed a village in Kasongo territory, leaving families without homes or livelihoods. The territory’s administrator appealed for emergency aid, but the alert came about a week after the fire. Separately, foreign aid cuts have threatened funding for research and firefighting programmes, including efforts previously supported by USAID.

Greenpeace Africa’s Sherelee Odayar called for urgent action to halt deforestation and ecosystem destruction and limit fossil-fuel burning. She said the forests shelter millions of species and Indigenous Peoples, and help regulate the global climate.