Faculty research in Congo plays key role in climate summit
(05-10-2022) In Kinshasa, the PRECOP27 is held from 3 to 5 October, in preparation for the UN climate summit COP27 in November. Ghent University research on the Congolese rainforest plays an important role in the PRECOP.
PRECOP27 welcomes about sixty ministers of environment or energy, as well as representatives of negotiating groups, the UNFCCC Secretariat and representatives of civil society. Together, they are preparing for the UN climate summit COP27 held from 6 to 18 November in Egypt.
Prior to PRECOP, an international scientific conference was held in the Congolese city of Yangambi in early September. There, scientists shared their insights on the contribution of the Congolese rainforest and other tropical basins to the fight against climate change.
Faculty research in Congo
Scientists from the Faculty of Bioengineering are studying the role the Congolese rainforest plays in storing carbon and reducing CO₂ in the atmosphere. Their research provided important information for the PRECOP.
Climate tower
Since October 2020, the Ghent University climate tower has been measuring both the amount of CO₂ captured and stored by the tropical rainforest and the levels of water exchange between the forest and the atmosphere.
Continue reading: Climate tower in DR Congo fills an enormous gap in our knowledge
Largest peatland in the world
Recently, the full extent of the vast peatlands in the heart of the Congo basin was mapped. In total, this appears to be the largest peatland area in the world.
Continue reading: The world's largest tropical peatland is in the Democratic Republic of Congo