Environmental Science for Sustainability: Congo Basin Research
The Congo Basin is the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest and a vital carbon store. Leeds researchers have worked in close partnership with African scientists and institutions for over two decades to understand and protect this vast ecosystem. Their collaborative efforts have led to major scientific discoveries, including the mapping of the world’s largest tropical peatland in 2017, and continue to inform global climate and conservation policy.
Key Programmes and Initiatives
Leeds’ work in the Congo Basin is rooted in long-term, collaborative research with African partners, with a strong emphasis on capacity strengthening and co-leadership.
CongoPeat project, led by Professor Simon Lewis, brought together UK and Congolese scientists to explore the vast swamp forests of the Cuvette Centrale. In 2017, this collaboration led to the discovery and mapping of the world’s largest tropical peatland—an area storing around 30 billion tonnes of carbon. This breakthrough reshaped global understanding of tropical carbon stocks and positioned the Congo Basin as a critical region for climate mitigation.
Read more about CongoPeat
Building on the success and momentum of CongoPeat, Leeds co-launched the Congo Basin Science Initiative (CBSI) with the University of Kinshasa. CBSI was formed in response to a call from Central African environment ministers to strengthen regional scientific capacity and generate locally relevant data to guide sustainable development.
Find out more about Congo Basin Science Initiative
Together, these programmes have:
- Supported the training of PhD and MSc students from across Central Africa
- Enabled co-development of research infrastructure, including field stations and monitoring networks
- Contributed to policy frameworks such as the Brazzaville Declaration to protect peatlands
- Fostered a growing network of scientists working on climate, hydrology, biodiversity, and land use
Scientific significance
Leeds research has shown that the Congo peatlands are vulnerable to drying, which could trigger massive carbon emissions—equivalent to three years of global fossil fuel output. This insight has elevated the Congo Basin’s importance in climate negotiations and highlighted the need for urgent protection.
Resources
Congo peatlands could release billions of tonnes of carbon
True size of world's largest tropical peatland revealed for the first time
World’s largest tropical peatlands revealed to be more than 40,000 years old