As the Summit of the Three Basins convenes in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, leaders from the Amazon, Congo, Borneo-Mekong, and Southeast Asia gather to strengthen South-South governance for their shared ecosystems. At the heart of their discussions lies a pressing concern—large parts of tropical forests in these regions face imminent threats from fossil fuel, mining, and extractive industry expansion.
The Three Basins Threat Report
A global report, “The Three Basins Threat Report: Fossil Fuel, Mining, and Industrial Expansion Threats to Forests and Communities,” has been compiled by the research and advocacy group Earth Insight and other non-profits. This report underscores the challenges confronting the world’s remaining tropical forest basins.
These basins are grappling with extensive forest loss, heading towards a systemic ecosystem breakdown. This deterioration jeopardizes global climate stability, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of millions of indigenous peoples and local communities.
Forests in Peril
Key findings in the report include:
- Nearly 20 percent of intact tropical forests in these basins are now in active and potential oil and gas concessions.
- Approximately 25 percent of the Amazon and Congo basins face active or potential mining concessions.
- In Indonesia, nearly half of all nickel concessions overlap with natural forests, posing a fivefold risk of deforestation and degradation should nickel mining permits expand.
These expansions directly impact over 200 million people, a significant portion of whom belong to indigenous and local communities.
The Call for Action
The report calls on world leaders to commit to the protection of the forests in the Three Basins. It stresses the necessity of placing Indigenous peoples and local communities at the center of solutions within the Three Basins Initiative.
Tyson Miller, Executive Director of Earth Insight, emphasizes the need for immediate action, urging leaders to implement a moratorium on industrial activity in primary and intact forests. This, he says, will create room for new financial and sustainable solutions that balance economic development with ecological boundaries.
The Amazon Basin: A Crucial Ecosystem
In the Amazon basin, the challenges are stark. Nearly 13 percent of undisturbed tropical forests overlap with existing or planned oil and gas blocks, and more than 33 percent intersect with active and inactive mining concessions. The Amazon is home to over 500 distinct Indigenous nationalities, and Indigenous Territories encompass over 31 million hectares within oil and gas blocks. Additionally, more than 70 million hectares overlap with active and inactive mining concessions.
Fany Kuiru Castro, General Coordinator of the Confederation of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, pleads for urgent action to ensure 80 percent protection by 2025. This protection entails stopping deforestation, forest degradation, and pollution of vital water sources.
Congo Basin and Southeast Asia
In the Congo basin, more than 39 percent of undisturbed Tropical Moist Forests overlap with oil and gas blocks, and nearly 27 percent intersect with mining concessions. These expansions threaten the rich cultures and future of Indigenous pygmy and other rare and endangered peoples.
In Southeast Asia, nearly 20 percent of undisturbed Tropical Moist Forests are within oil and gas blocks designated for production or exploration. Indonesia, in particular, faces challenges with extractive concessions, including palm oil, mining, logging, and forests for energy. Nickel mining concessions, if expanded, pose a significant risk of deforestation.
A Plea for Conservation
Timer Manurung, Executive Director of the non-profit Auriga Nusantara, Indonesia, underscores the importance of protecting the remaining natural forests and the communities they support.
The Summit, scheduled from October 26 to 28, is attended by heads of state, official delegations, government representatives, international institutions, donors, financing organizations, and experts. President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo calls for global mobilization in response to the environmental and climate emergency that threatens the planet.
The Summit of the Three Tropical Forest Basins, initiated in 2011, recognizes the imperative of cooperation among the countries sharing these vital ecosystems.
