This story excerpt was translated from French. To read the original story in full, visit Congo Synthese. You may also view the original story on the Rainforest Journalism Fund website here. Our RJF website is available in English, Spanish, bahasa Indonesia, French, and Portuguese.
According to research conducted in Muanda, Central Kongo, the Mangrove forest "of extreme importance" is under pressure from the riparian communities. In particular, the intensive logging and the anarchic construction of houses along the beach constitute a danger for this forest whose "destruction is a serious threat to the eco-system."
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These investigations, made with the support of the Rainforest Journalism Fund and the Pulitzer Center in January 2022, shows the consequences of the pressure that the aforementioned forest undergoes are already felt by the population in Muanda, with the decrease of rainfall, unsuccessful fishing at the coast, flooding, and the collapse of the coastal slope.
In this research, given all the above-mentioned dangers, it is imperative to protect the mangroves and to ensure the restoration of the forest so that the authorities take measures to protect the marine park of the mangroves and involve the populations in this task by giving them palliatives.