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ATLAS REPORT
Country report: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Generated 15 October 2026, 15:11 from live Atlas data
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Executive summary
Atlas holds 1,223,598 mapped features and 43,448 observations in 81 datasets. The mapped mangrove canopy covers 19,618 ha in 1,520 polygons across 1 formation classes; Mangrove dominates with 100.0% of the area. The median patch is only 0.089 ha, while patches of 10 ha or more hold 96.8% of the area. 0 ha (0.0%) lies within 10 km of the LAPSSET development footprint.
Single mapping epoch (2019). Areas are geodesic hectares recalculated from geometry.
Species & formations
| Formation | Polygons | Area (ha) | Share | Mean patch (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mangrove | 1,520 | 19,618.2 | 100.0% | 12.91 |
Shannon evenness by area: 0.00
Pressure: LAPSSET and villages
Mangrove ha by distance from LAPSSET
Mangrove ha by distance from villages
Data quality
| Dataset | Features | Repaired | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 284 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 456 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 394 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 339 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 318 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,575 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,520 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,280 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,346 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,337 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,794 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2,320 | 0 | 100 |
| Congo Basin | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Salonga | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Moderate Pressure | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| High Pressure | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Bassin_Rutshuru | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| PNVi | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| High Biodiversity Areas | 3 | 2 | 95 |
| RDC_Grande_Rivieres | 5 | 0 | 95 |
| Hippos Sightings_2005 | 6 | 0 | 95 |
| AfricaPriorityLandscapes | 7 | 2 | 95 |
| RDC_Zones_CBNRM | 7 | 0 | 95 |
| Virunga Pressure map | 8 | 4 | 95 |
| RDC_Territoire | 9 | 0 | 95 |
| RDC_Territoire | 9 | 0 | 95 |
| Hippos Sightings_1974 | 9 | 0 | 95 |
| flr_9 | 9 | 0 | 95 |
| Sub_Watersheds | 11 | 5 | 95 |
| Oil_Blocks | 12 | 0 | 95 |
| Ug_Rw_Parks_Reserves | 12 | 1 | 95 |
| FLRi Countries | 13 | 0 | 95 |
| FLRi Countries | 13 | 0 | 95 |
| Chimps Sightings | 19 | 0 | 95 |
| Glaciers_1990 | 20 | 0 | 95 |
| NACOFA Initiatives | 23 | 0 | 95 |
| Planned Major Roads and Rails | 33 | 0 | 95 |
| Development Corridors | 33 | 0 | 95 |
| RDC_Villages | 36 | 0 | 95 |
| Gorille Sightings | 39 | 0 | 95 |
| PA_with_Values | 40 | 0 | 95 |
| Camp_bracconiers | 44 | 0 | 95 |
| Lakes | 62 | 0 | 95 |
| Operational Land/Seascape | 70 | 10 | 95 |
| Operational Land/Seascape | 70 | 10 | 95 |
| Operational Landscape | 79 | 13 | 95 |
| Elephant Sightings | 95 | 0 | 95 |
| Africa_WWF_Priority_202104_Operational_Landscapes_Seascape | 96 | 16 | 95 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | 126 | 0 | 95 |
| Lion Sightings | 198 | 0 | 95 |
| Protected Areas | 210 | 4 | 95 |
| Rivers | 228 | 0 | 95 |
| RDC_Rw | 233 | 0 | 95 |
| ProtectedAreas_AfricaPriorityLandscapes | 492 | 4 | 95 |
| Administration (Level 2) | 495 | 1 | 95 |
| Administration (Level 2) | 495 | 1 | 95 |
| Forest_Concessions | 535 | 11 | 95 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | 642 | 0 | 95 |
| RDC_Routes | 804 | 0 | 95 |
| Ug | 851 | 1 | 95 |
| AfricaPriority_River | 857 | 0 | 95 |
| RDC_Plantations_Ecomakala | 1,184 | 10 | 95 |
| RDC_Rivieres | 1,212 | 0 | 95 |
| Small airport | 1,979 | 0 | 95 |
| Dams | 2,586 | 0 | 95 |
| Ug_Roads | 3,281 | 0 | 95 |
| Districts | 6,099 | 13 | 95 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | 7,438 | 1 | 95 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | 9,759 | 0 | 95 |
| Divisions | 17,649 | 9 | 95 |
| Selected_Species_Oil_Impact | 17,779 | 0 | 95 |
| Irrigated Areas | 23,095 | 1 | 95 |
| Agro-Ecological Zones | 25,791 | 17 | 95 |
| Wetlands -Lakes -Reservoirs | 34,115 | 1 | 95 |
| Waterways | 35,619 | 0 | 95 |
| Carbon projects: Democratic Republic of the Congo | 5 | 0 | 90 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): Democratic Republic of the Congo | 38 | 0 | 90 |
| Roads | 54,384 | 0 | 95 |
| Observation_ICCN | 101,621 | 0 | 95 |
| Settlement | 275,904 | 0 | 95 |
| Road Network | 584,033 | 0 | 95 |
Recommendations
High 6 of 9 themes have no data yet
Atlas holds no records for: Seagrass, Salt Marsh, Blue Carbon, Land Use & Land Cover, Farming & Livelihoods, Surveys & Field Data. Seagrass and salt marsh would come from UNEP-WCMC global datasets; carbon projects from the Verra and Gold Standard registries; community projects from partner programmes.
Action: Ingest the planned sources listed in the Source Catalogue, starting with Global Mangrove Watch, UNEP-WCMC seagrass and salt marsh, and the carbon registries.
High Licence terms to be confirmed for 67 datasets
Licence terms are being confirmed with the publisher. Atlas holds the data for scientific and internal use and shows the original attribution, but cannot grant bulk redistribution rights.
Action: Request written permission from WWF Kenya, KMFRI and KFS for redistribution and derivative products.
Medium Most polygons are very small, but most area sits in large stands
51.2% of the 1,520 mapped polygons are under 0.1 ha, yet patches of 10 ha or more hold 96.8% of all mangrove area. Management and monitoring effort should focus on the large stands, while the small-patch tail needs checking against satellite imagery.
Action: Prioritise field verification of large stands; review the sub-0.1 ha tail for mapping artefacts.
Medium Net loss of mangrove since 1996
Global Mangrove Watch maps 19,698 ha of mangrove in Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1996 and 19,354 ha in 2025: a net loss of 344 ha (-1.7%), about 12 ha per year. This is the net balance of total mapped area; gains and losses inside the country can cancel out, so real loss may be larger.
Action: Overlay consecutive epochs to locate where the losses occurred and check them against pressures such as clearing, ports and aquaculture.
Datasets & sources
| Dataset | Publisher | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 284 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 456 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 394 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 339 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 318 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 1,575 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 1,520 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 1,280 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 1,346 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 1,337 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 1,794 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 2,320 |
| Congo Basin | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Salonga | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Moderate Pressure | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| High Pressure | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Bassin_Rutshuru | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| PNVi | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| High Biodiversity Areas | WWF Kenya | 3 |
| RDC_Grande_Rivieres | WWF Kenya | 5 |
| Hippos Sightings_2005 | WWF Kenya | 6 |
| AfricaPriorityLandscapes | WWF Kenya | 7 |
| RDC_Zones_CBNRM | WWF Kenya | 7 |
| Virunga Pressure map | WWF Kenya | 8 |
| RDC_Territoire | WWF Kenya | 9 |
| RDC_Territoire | WWF Kenya | 9 |
| Hippos Sightings_1974 | WWF Kenya | 9 |
| flr_9 | WWF Kenya | 9 |
| Sub_Watersheds | WWF Kenya | 11 |
| Oil_Blocks | WWF Kenya | 12 |
| Ug_Rw_Parks_Reserves | WWF Kenya | 12 |
| FLRi Countries | WWF Kenya | 13 |
| FLRi Countries | WWF Kenya | 13 |
| Chimps Sightings | WWF Kenya | 19 |
| Glaciers_1990 | WWF Kenya | 20 |
| NACOFA Initiatives | WWF Kenya | 23 |
| Planned Major Roads and Rails | WWF Kenya | 33 |
| Development Corridors | WWF Kenya | 33 |
| RDC_Villages | WWF Kenya | 36 |
| Gorille Sightings | WWF Kenya | 39 |
| PA_with_Values | WWF Kenya | 40 |
| Camp_bracconiers | WWF Kenya | 44 |
| Lakes | WWF Kenya | 62 |
| Operational Land/Seascape | WWF Kenya | 70 |
| Operational Land/Seascape | WWF Kenya | 70 |
| Operational Landscape | WWF Kenya | 79 |
| Elephant Sightings | WWF Kenya | 95 |
| Africa_WWF_Priority_202104_Operational_Landscapes_Seascape | WWF Kenya | 96 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | WWF Kenya | 126 |
| Lion Sightings | WWF Kenya | 198 |
| Protected Areas | WWF Kenya | 210 |
| Rivers | WWF Kenya | 228 |
| RDC_Rw | WWF Kenya | 233 |
| ProtectedAreas_AfricaPriorityLandscapes | WWF Kenya | 492 |
| Administration (Level 2) | WWF Kenya | 495 |
| Administration (Level 2) | WWF Kenya | 495 |
| Forest_Concessions | WWF Kenya | 535 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | WWF Kenya | 642 |
| RDC_Routes | WWF Kenya | 804 |
| Ug | WWF Kenya | 851 |
| AfricaPriority_River | WWF Kenya | 857 |
| RDC_Plantations_Ecomakala | WWF Kenya | 1,184 |
| RDC_Rivieres | WWF Kenya | 1,212 |
| Small airport | WWF Kenya | 1,979 |
| Dams | WWF Kenya | 2,586 |
| Ug_Roads | WWF Kenya | 3,281 |
| Districts | WWF Kenya | 6,099 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | WWF Kenya | 7,438 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | WWF Kenya | 9,759 |
| Divisions | WWF Kenya | 17,649 |
| Selected_Species_Oil_Impact | WWF Kenya | 17,779 |
| Irrigated Areas | WWF Kenya | 23,095 |
| Agro-Ecological Zones | WWF Kenya | 25,791 |
| Wetlands -Lakes -Reservoirs | WWF Kenya | 34,115 |
| Waterways | WWF Kenya | 35,619 |
| Carbon projects: Democratic Republic of the Congo | Berkeley Carbon Trading Project, University of California, Berkeley | 5 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): Democratic Republic of the Congo | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 38 |
| Roads | WWF Kenya | 54,384 |
| Observation_ICCN | WWF Kenya | 101,621 |
| Settlement | WWF Kenya | 275,904 |
| Road Network | WWF Kenya | 584,033 |
Methods & limits
Areas and lengths are recomputed on the WGS 84 ellipsoid; units are harmonised (ha, m, %, UTC). The mapping is a single 2019 epoch; the source publishes no licence; field plots are a sample; scenario figures are illustrative assumptions. Cite the original publishers listed above. Full methods: Methodologies page.