Context:

• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo and Indonesia jointly signed the Brazzaville declaration.
• The agreement was signed to protect the Cuvette Centrale region in the Congo Basin, the world’s largest tropical peatlands, from unregulated land use and prevent its drainage and degradation, that promotes better management and conservation of this globally important carbon store.

About the declaration:

• The declaration recognizes the importance of the scientific breakthrough of mapping the world’s largest tropical peatland area.
• The declaration aims to implement coordination and cooperation between different government sectors to protect the benefits provided by peatland ecosystems.

About  Peatlands

• Peatlands are wetlands that contain a mixture of decomposed organic material, partially submerged in a layer of water, lacking oxygen.
• The complex biodiversity of the peatlands means they are home to a variety of species, but their high carbon content makes them uniquely vulnerable to incineration if they are drained.
• The equivalent of three years of global greenhouse gas emissions is stored in the Congo peatlands.

Source:UN Environment