Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
Mining pressures protected areas as wildlife populations decline in Africa
Mining and oil and gas activity overlap protected areas in tropical countries, raising concerns about whether conservation commitments are being enforced.
An analysis found oil and gas blocks overlap nearly 62 million hectares of protected and conserved areas, while mining concessions overlap another 43 million hectares.
WWF reports an average 80% decline in monitored wildlife populations in Africa from 1970 to 2022; that figure covers the continent, not just the Congo Basin.
Nadège Nzoyem, WWF’s regional director for the Congo Basin, says protected areas should be kept free of mining.
She also points to mixed results: estimated elephant numbers in Cameroon’s Lobéké National Park stayed broadly stable from 2015 to 2025, and estimated gorilla numbers rose by about 23%.
Funding, effective management and community rights remain central challenges to making conservation work.
Governments and conservation groups will face scrutiny at the upcoming biodiversity summit in Armenia, where countries are working toward protecting 30% of land and waters by 2030.
A WWF report found an average 80% decline in monitored wildlife population sizes in Africa from 1970 to 2022.
An analysis found oil and gas blocks overlap with nearly 62 million hectares of protected and conserved areas across the tropical countries examined.
Mining concessions overlap with another 43 million hectares of those areas.
Nadège Nzoyem, WWF’s regional director for the Congo Basin, said mining has no place in areas governments have committed to conserve.
In the Congo Basin, 29% of identified terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas remain unprotected.
- Who
- WWF regional director Nadège Nzoyem discussed conservation pressures in an interview with Mongabay.
- What
- Reports found extensive overlap between extractive industry blocks and protected areas, alongside declining wildlife populations.
- When
- The analysis was published Oct. 8, 2026. Mongabay published the interview Oct. 13, 2026.
- Where
- The findings cover tropical countries examined and wildlife populations across Africa, including the Congo Basin.
- Why
- Extractive industry pressures, insufficient funding and gaps in monitoring make effective protection difficult.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
An analysis on extractive industry overlap with protected and conserved areas was published.
Mongabay published its interview with Nadège Nzoyem following the release of WWF’s Living Planet Report 2026.
The global community was scheduled to meet for biodiversity COP17 in Armenia.
- Wildlife decline
- Average 80% fall in monitored population sizes in Africa, 1970–2022
- Oil and gas overlap
- Nearly 62 million hectares of protected and conserved areas
- Mining overlap
- 43 million hectares of protected and conserved areas
- Congo Basin unprotected areas
- 29% of identified terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas
- COP17 location
- Armenia
What people are saying
Protected areas are protected areas
The Congo Basin is a great reservoir of biodiversity.
Sources
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