Springer Resilience and Sustainability in the Congo Basin: Retracing the Past, Looking to the Future

This is Open Access Book and this book is the 2025 Congo Basin Assessment Report, which synthesizes existing scientific knowledge, including that of Indigenous peoples and autochthonous communities, on the functioning of and threats to the Congo Basin and its ecosystems. As such, it is the first of its kind and constitutes the primary product of the Science Panel for the Congo Basin (SPCB). The book offers a meta-analysis of published materials on the Congo Basin, synthesizing all available knowledge on various aspects of the Congo Basin ecosystems; it collates peer-reviewed published materials from past and ongoing research. However, far from being a simple compilation of dispersed published materials, the book brings together diverse knowledge from various areas of scientific inquiry assembled in a coherent set of new meta-knowledge necessary to guide future decisions that will impact the entire Congo Basin. Structurally, the book first assesses the past and present ecological conditions of the Congo Basin before assembling available knowledge to suggest the trajectories the Congo Basin is likely to take if current trends (business-as-usual models) remain constant. With this latter feature, the authors of Congo Basin scientists provide scenarios to help policy-makers ensure that economic activities have less detrimental impact on the sustainability of essential ecological functions and the vibrancy of the cultural diversity of the Congo Basin. Congo Basin in this book includes both the Congo Basin and the Ogooué Basin; as such, the book covers what is also known as Central African Forests. This book contributes to SDGs by synthesizing scientific and Indigenous knowledge to advance climate action (SDG 13), protect terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15), ensure clean water and sustainable use (SDG 6), promote responsible economic practices (SDG 12), foster sustainable communities (SDG 11), and encourage partnerships (SDG 17) for the Congo Basin's preservation.