A new project was launched by the Minister of State for the Environment of the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking the start of construction of the headquarters of the “National Forest Monitoring System”. The foundation stone laying ceremony took place at the University of Kinshasa in front of the Agricultural Sciences Building on Thursday, April 11, 2024. This building, which costs more than 3 million US dollars, is financed by the Ministry of the Environment in partnership with the American company Wade Carbone, as well as by national contributions.
According to Eve Bazaiba, Minister of the Environment, this initiative aims to strengthen measures to preserve, protect, and restore the country's vast forest areas. By leveraging advanced information and communication technologies, the project will enable the DRC to better monitor and protect its natural resources, in line with the vision of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi and the country's international commitments.

The building will be constructed in three phases, including the installation of remote sensing and spatial analysis technologies, as well as the training of teaching staff and officials from the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development. UNIKIN Rector Professor Jean-Marie Kayembe Ntumba emphasized the university's essential role in contributing to society by establishing a Forest Monitoring Laboratory in response to the country's environmental challenges.
There is therefore hope that this initiative is only the beginning of a series of projects aimed at protecting the precious forest resources of the DRC, considered the lungs of the Congo Basin.