Controversy grows as DRC targets protected lands for massive oil and gas exploration

Business Insider

6 days ago

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing mounting criticism from environmentalists, human rights groups, and global climate advocates following its decision to open 124 million hectares of land and inland waters to oil and gas exploration.
The DRC announced the opening of 124 million hectares for oil and gas exploration to enhance its hydrocarbon sector and economy.
The decision includes regions containing protected biodiversity areas such as rainforests and peatlands
Pressure mounts both nationally and internationally for the DRC government to reconsider these plans due to projected environmental and social consequences.
In May, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), through its Minister of Hydrocarbons, Aimé Sakombi Molendo, formally announced the expansion of oil and gas exploration during the 42nd ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers.
Molendo revealed that the Central Basin sedimentary region has been fully divided into oil blocks, with 52 of them newly opened for exploration. He emphasized that this move is part of ongoing efforts to promote the country's hydrocarbon sector and unlock its economic potential.
The Council of Ministers acknowledged the update, stressing the strategic importance of these developments for the DRC's economic future.
They noted that the initiative aligns with the government's broader agenda to strengthen national revenue generation through the oil industry and attract investment in the energy sector.
The move, announced as part of President Félix Tshisekedi's broader economic strategy, includes regions that encompass protected rainforests, peatlands, and biodiversity hotspots, some of which are home to endangered species such as forest elephants and lowland gorillas.
Critics slam move as setback to climate goals
With an estimated 5 to 22 billion barrels of oil reserves, the DRC is pursuing a pro-investment agenda aimed at boosting transparency, operational efficiency, and upstream activity. However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from climate advocates who say it undermines global emissions targets and global climate goals.
Conservationists argue that expanding fossil fuel infrastructure into ecologically sensitive areas threatens to destroy fragile ecosystems and violates the rights of Indigenous populations who depend on these landscapes for their survival.
According to Earth Insight, in a report titled Forests to Frontlines: Oil Expansion Threats in the DRC, the organization calls on the Congolese government to cancel the 2025 oil block licensing round and instead pursue alternative development models that 'r espect Indigenous and community rights, sustain local livelihoods, and safeguard biodiversity and the global climate. '
'What happens next in the Congo Basin will have consequences far beyond its borders, ' the report cautions.
As the second-largest tropical rainforest on the planet, the DRC is home to an astonishing array of biodiversity—including elephants, great apes, endemic bird species, and thousands of unique plants that thrive in its intact ecosystems.
The country's Cuvette Centrale peatlands store vast amounts of carbon vital to the fight against climate change. These rich landscapes also support the livelihoods, cultural heritage, and climate resilience of millions of people.
Earth Insight further warns that over half of the DRC's territory, approximately 53%, is now covered by oil blocks, placing immense pressure on areas of critical ecological and cultural importance.
This development threatens to disrupt local livelihoods and erode lands with deep cultural and spiritual significance, ultimately undermining the country's potential for long-term sustainable development.
The controversy has also cast a shadow over international climate partnerships. These include agreements in which the DRC receives financial support from global partners to conserve its rainforests, the world's second-largest after the Amazon.