-- stores 29 billion tons of carbon dioxide, according to researchers from universities in Kisangani, Leeds and London.
But the Congolese government has other ideas. In July 2022, it held an auction for 27 oil blocks, three of which are located in the peatlands. The new oil wealth would be more than enough to fund new schools, streets and hospitals across the country.Lower fish yields in Congolese riversAs the 60-year-old fisherman sits in his hut, water washes over his feet. It's the rainy season, and almost all the huts next to the Ruki river are flooded.
But researchers from the United Kingdom also came to Mpeka. They told Ikolongo that climate change is at fault for smaller catches of fish.Yet, the researchers managed to annoy Ikolongo's 38-year-old son, Dieumerci Bisalo, because they banned him from cutting trees, leaving him to wonder how he would manage without firewood.