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The Congo Basin Science Initiative (CBSI)

The Congo Basin Science Initiative (CBSI) is an independent scientist-led platform that promotes long-term investment in science in the Congo Basin with a mission to transform our understanding of the world’s second largest extent of tropical forest, build scientific capacity in the region, and use this knowledge to support sustainable development.

The Congo Basin and its contiguous forests are the world’s second largest extent of tropical forest. Despite their importance to people and the planet, the Congo Basin receives little attention compared to the Amazon and Southeast Asian tropical forest regions. For example, Central Africa is one of only two regions worldwide without the data needed to assess past trends in extreme heat events. For the future, it is unknown howdeforestation and climate change may interact and drive widespread forest dieback, as shown for the Amazon. CBSI was formed to end the underinvestment in Congo Basin science and transform our understanding of this crucial region of our planet.