The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has advanced plans to open more than half of its national territory—encompassing 306 million acres of intact tropical forests and critical habitats for endangered wildlife—to oil and gas drilling. The move marks a dramatic escalation of fossil fuel expansion in one of the planet’s most ecologically vital regions, threatening global biodiversity targets and international efforts to combat climate change.
According to a comprehensive new report titled Forests to Frontlines: Oil Expansion Threats in the DRC, published by Earth Insight in partnership with local and international organizations, the government’s latest licensing round covers 52 new oil blocks. This follows three blocks previously awarded, bringing the total area under threat to roughly 64 percent of the country’s pristine forest cover. In total, approximately 53 percent of the entire country is now covered by oil blocks.
The sweeping initiative places immense pressure on ecosystems that serve as the last refuge for rare and endangered species, including mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas, bonobos, and forest elephants. Conservationists and civil society leaders warn that industrial activities in these delicate zones will inflict irreversible damage on complex natural habitats, disrupt fragile river systems, and undermine global carbon storage initiatives.
A Global Ecological Cornerstone at Risk
Ecologically, the DRC occupies a position of unparalleled importance on Earth. The country hosts the second-largest tropical rainforest on the planet, characterized by towering canopies, winding river systems, and an astonishing wealth of biodiversity. Thousands of endemic plant species, birds, and large mammals thrive within its uninterrupted ecosystems, relying on the vast forest landscape for survival.
Central to this ecological network are the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, situated largely within the newly designated oil blocks. As the largest tropical peatland complex in the world, these vast, carbon-rich wetlands store an estimated 30 gigatons of carbon. This massive natural carbon sink plays an outsized role in regulating the global climate. Releasing even a fraction of this stored carbon through industrial development, deforestation, or peat degradation could have catastrophic consequences for worldwide climate stability.
Despite these global stakes, the government’s new licensing round overlaps heavily with established conservation zones. The newly auctioned oil blocks encroach upon 20.5 million acres of protected areas, 21.3 million acres of Key Biodiversity Areas, and 165.1 million acres of intact tropical forests. Furthermore, 72 percent of the recently established Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor intersects directly with the oil concessions. This heavy overlap threatens the corridor’s ecological integrity and challenges its credibility as a sustainable development and climate solution initiative.
Impact on Indigenous Communities and Local Livelihoods
Beyond its environmental and climatic consequences, the massive expansion of oil and gas exploration poses a direct threat to millions of human lives. Estimates indicate that the newly auctioned regions are home to roughly 39 million Congolese people, including numerous forest-based and Indigenous communities whose survival is inextricably linked to the health of the tropical forests and rivers.
For these local populations, the land provides not only physical sustenance and economic livelihoods but also deep cultural and spiritual identity. The entry of heavy machinery, seismic testing, drilling infrastructure, and associated industrial camps threatens to displace communities, pollute water sources, and destroy traditional ways of life.
Local civil society leaders have voiced fierce opposition to the government’s strategy, pointing out a stark contradiction between official environmental rhetoric and actual policy decisions.
"Imagine: 39 million Congolese people and 64% of our forests could be directly affected by the awarding of these oil blocks," said Pascal Mirindi, campaign coordinator for Notre Terre Sans Pétrole, as reported by The Guardian. "And all this while the government is promoting the Kivu-Kinshasa ecological corridor. 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."
Escalation of Controversial Fossil Fuel Policies
The current licensing round represents a major expansion of a controversial policy trajectory initiated in 2022, when the DRC government launched an initial auction for 30 oil and gas blocks. That earlier round drew widespread national and international condemnation due to its heavy overlap with protected areas, peatlands, and customary Indigenous lands.
Rather than stepping back from fossil fuel development in the wake of those warnings, the administration has dramatically widened the scope of oil concessions. Earth Insight notes that the new round deepens the threat to the ecological integrity of the entire Congo Basin, casting serious doubt on the nation’s stated commitments to international environmental protection treaties and sustainable social progress.
"The ecological health of the DRC is deeply intertwined with the health of the planet, playing an outsized role in regulating the global climate and preserving biodiversity," Earth Insight stated in a release. "Yet despite strong national and international opposition, the DRC has continued to pursue fossil fuel development across ecologically sensitive areas."
Researchers emphasize that opening fragile ecosystems to hydrocarbon extraction is fundamentally incompatible with global climate targets. Anna Bebbington, an Earth Insight research manager, underscored the gravity of the situation, noting that oil and gas development in these regions would trigger devastating impacts on biodiversity, community land rights, and the collective global fight against climate change.
Calls for Cancellation and Reform
In response to the mounting crisis, the Forests to Frontlines report outlines clear demands formulated in alignment with Congolese civil society groups, including the Coalition des Organisations de la Société Civile pour le Suivi des Réformes et de l’Action Publique (CORAP), Our Land Without Oil, and Rainforest Foundation UK.
The primary recommendation calls upon the DRC government and its international partners to immediately cancel the 2025 licensing round and halt all future hydrocarbon expansion projects across the country. Additionally, the report urges authorities to strictly uphold and protect the land rights of local communities and Indigenous Peoples.
Civil society advocates are also pressing international donors and financial institutions to align their support and funding strictly with the DRC’s formal commitments to biodiversity preservation, human rights, and climate action. They stress that meaningful participation, transparency, and inclusion of local communities in environmental governance and decision-making processes are essential to preventing ecological collapse and ensuring true sustainable development for the region.
