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Remy Zahiga
Hi,
I am a climate activist from The Democratic Republic of the Congo. I have a Masters degree in Earth Sciences from Bukavu State University, and have been an enviromental activist since 2019.
Founder of #SaveCongoFauna_Flora and co-founder of CongoEnviroVox.
Remy's Speech
Biodiversity Day
May 22nd 2020
Hosted by Greenpeace Africa
Distinguished participants in your respective titles and qualities, hello!
It is an honor for us to see you all accept Greenpeace Africa’s invitation to protect the Congo Rainforest!
For those who do not know, the Congo rainforest is located in Africa and is the second largest tropical forest in the world, after the Amazon. It covers six African countries, including Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic! It should be noted that the Democratic Republic of Congo occupies more than 60% of this forest and a larger population than that of these five other countries combined (University of Maryland, 2018).
Indeed, this forest covers an area twice the size of France, or 1.55 million square kilometers (Green peace, 2016) with a unique biodiversity of its kind, with millions of people dependent on it for everything!
Pygmies are the indigenous people of Central Africa and therefore are the first occupants (the natives) of this forest. In Cameroon, these pygmies are called the “Bakas”. In Congo, these pygmies are called the “Bambutis, or the” Batwa “, etc.
Nowadays, with the acceleration of deforestation, either linked to industrial logging companies, or by the palm oil companies and the search for wood for heating because most of the countries which cover this forest do not have access with electricity, the forest loses a huge forest cover every year! It should therefore be noted that industrial logging and mining companies are largely responsible for the degradation of this forest! As a result, the forest lost an area of ​​165,000 square kilometers from 2000 to 2014, an area larger than Bangladesh while adding the study made in 2018 by the University of Maryland (UMD) showing that it may be gone by 2100. Some wild species are trafficked and often roasted in certain hotels in the square, but also exposed to armed conflicts – last in April 2020 in Virunga park (DR Congo), a dozen eco-guards were found dead. This will further contribute to the extinction of species such as the Okapi, mountain gorillas, etc.
The destruction of this forest is a threat to the fight against climate change, a vulnerability that affects both fauna and flora, but also the millions of people who depend on it for agriculture, livestock, water, traditional medicine, etc.
This is why a campaign which advocates the protection of this second largest tropical rainforest on the planet has emerged and already brings together activists from around the world! We therefore thank everyone who participates in this campaign and invite others to join these courageous activists – together we are strong!
So that this forest continues to provide us with what we need, we call on leaders at the national and international level to turn their eyes to it by supporting and respecting the agreements signed on the protection of wildlife and National Parks. Respect the rights of the natives, while improving security in protected areas and respect the commitments by companies, which exploit the forest towards the natives, so that future generations can enjoy a planet worthy of its name
We said and thank you!
Remy Zahiga 22nd May 2020
#SaveCongoRainForest
#SaveCongoRainForest_Fauna_Flora
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