Remy Zahiga, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a young climate activist and environmental defender who has made it his life mission to save the Congo Basin Rainforest.

To do this, he’s been planting trees in areas that have been damaged by mining activities, while also lobbying authorities to prioritize the saving of the rainforest.

The Congo Rainforest is the second largest tropical rainforest in the world, covering an area of 2 million square kilometres, and is also one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth, supporting hundreds of species of trees and an estimated 10,000 species of animals. In addition, an estimated 75 million people (including approximately 150 ethnic groups) live in this forest and depend on it for their livelihoods.

In this episode, Remy shares why he wants local communities, young people and governments to help him save this vital region.

Links:

• Global Citizen: Why I'm Working to Save the Congo Rainforest and Its Indigenous Communities

• Remy Zahiga Twitter

• Remy Zahiga LinkedIn

• Save Congo Rainforest website

• UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

Hosts: Jennifer Gacich (FAO) and Mateusz Benko (UNEP)

Producers: Cecilia Casalini (FAO), Giorgia Cherubini (UNEP), Katia de Prado (UNEP), Pierre Flecheux (UNEP) and James Obata (FAO).

Music © “Jungle” by DayFox