Fears for crucial gorilla habitats as pristine forests are opened to bids for oil and gas drilling in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The DRC's government has opened 306million acres of land and inland water, described as the 'world's worst place to prospect for oil', for auction, splitting the vast swathe of land up into 52 blocks.
According to Earth Insight, a research group, 64% of the area that is set to be exploited is intact tropical forest, and experts have warned that the DRC's government's move stands at odds with its commitments to protect biodiversity.
The DRC's ancient forests are home to several endangered species, including gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobo apes and okapis, otherwise known as forest giraffes.
And the area that is being flogged off to oil firms is home to 39million people, including many Indigenous people who often rely on clean and healthy forest and river lands to survive.
Pascal Mirindi, campaign coordinator for Notre Terre Sans Pétrole, a group campaigning to prevent resource exploitation in the DRC, said: 'Imagine: 39 million Congolese people … and 64% of our forests could be directly affected by the awarding of these oil blocks.
'Where is the logic? Where is the coherence? We are reminding our leaders that the Congolese people are the primary sovereign. We will not remain silent while certain people organise themselves to sell off our future.'
It comes just a few years after a failed attempt to launch tenders for dozens of oil and gas blocks across the African nation that was cancelled due to late submissions and a lack of competition, according to the government.
Professor Simon Lewis from University College London, who led the team that first mapped the central Congo peatlands, said: 'The world's worst place to prospect for oil is up for auction, again.'
He said: 'No credible company would bid for oil in the DRC's forests and peatlands, as there is probably not enough oil to be commercially viable, and it will be expensive oil in financial, social and environmental costs.'
Despite the DRC announcing a flagship conservation initiative that aimed to protect vast amounts of the country, 72% of this area overlaps with the planned oil blocks.
Earth Insight has called for the DRC to call off the latest oil and gas tenders, and to invest in alternative means of energy production.
Anna Bebbington, a research manager at Earth Insight, said: 'Oil and gas development in these fragile ecosystems would have devastating impacts on biodiversity, communities, land rights and the global fight against climate change.'
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