Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Deforestation in the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is altering ecosystem services and may be affecting forest communities by inducing changes in food availability, public health, and overall environmental resilience. This study determined the most prominent impacts resulting from deforestation by assessing changes in forest cover and forest ecosystem provisions. Surveys were conducted with 325 individuals living in twenty-five communities in the Lake Télé-Lake Tumba Landscape located in northwestern DRC. Data collected using survey tools were used to evaluate from a micro-scale, the local perspectives of communities to best explore environmental change. In addition, remote sensing analysis of Landsat satellite images and a climate analysis using forty years of weather data were collected from the Mabali Scientific Reserve and used to evaluate the state of the forest. Survey results demonstrated that local communities are highly environmentally literate and their knowledge is a useful indicator for qualifying environmental change. Remote sensing and climate results demonstrated that the forest cover has been reduced and there are major shifts in the traditional agricultural calendar. Our recommendations focused on local environmental science and policy in order to prevent future forest degradation and loss.