The Democratic Republic of Congo has the natural resources the world needs – it is crucial to satisfying our craving for the latest high-tech gadgets; the Inga Dam could light up all of Africa; while Congo’s farmers could feed a billion people. These realities are redefining the country’s strategic contribution to a globalized world. A resource paradise for some, the DRC is an environmental nightmare for others.

Congo’s Environmental Paradox analyses the new dynamics in the country’s forest, mineral, land, water and oil sectors, revealing the interactions between these sectors. Connecting the dots, it shows how we need to fundamentally rethink power, politics and resource management in Congo today.

• 1. Introduction: Potential in a Land of Plenty
• 2. Forests of Wealth and Mystery
• 3. Food and Agriculture
• 4. Water: An Uncertain Ebb and Flow
• 5. Oil: Plenty for Some, Nothing for Most
• 6. Mining: Rise, Decline and Renaissance
• 7. Conclusion: Uncertainty and Predation in a Land of Plenty