The planet’s two largest tropical forest basins, the Amazon and Congo, face tipping points that risk abrupt loss of the forest, and could threaten the income, food security and social structure livelihoods of the already vulnerable communities who depend on them and lead to global climate impacts. 
 

• Three Basins Summit: WWF Expectation Paper

The countries of the Congo Basin, Amazon and Southeast Asia region encompass 80% of the world’s tropical forests and two-thirds of terrestrial biodiversity.

They provide critical ecosystem services and play an important role in regulating the climate. Yet these forests are being lost at alarming rates and funding to preserve them is not enough to turn the tide and incentivize efforts to keep forests standing.

The Three Basins Summit, organized by the Congo Basin Climate Commission and the member states of the Three Basins, came at a critical juncture for the fate of the world's tropical forest basins.

The Summit was held from 26-28 October, 2023 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. 

WWF welcomes the efforts of the countries to unite for nature and people. This alliance is critical to drive urgent action needed to deliver a future with more thriving forests that benefit humanity and our planet.

The Summit built on the outcomes of the first such Summit in 2011 and also addressed emerging issues, including the global governance of the three tropical forests basins.

The purpose of the Summit was also to implement, within the framework of the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration, the first global coalition to restore 350 million hectares of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

WWF supported the mission and objectives of the Summit and brings a wealth of experience of working on the ground in all the countries of the regions.

WWF has offices in all these countries and has actively supported forest conservation work through our efforts to halt deforestation, create long-term effectively managed protected areas, promote sustainable management, and accelerate forest landscape restoration. 

With so much of the forest areas in this region managed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, WWF strongly supports community-led conservation through capacity-building and planning, advocacy and ensuring legal rights.

• Three Basins Summit: WWF final press release

Read more:
The Amazon
The Amazon is home to 47 million people, including approximately 2.2 million Indigenous Peoples. It is also home to iconic species such as jaguars. Learn more about this globally important region.
Living Amazon Report 
A journey through the Ecuadorian Amazon

Southeast Asia and Southwest Pacific
The landscapes of Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific host the third largest rainforest in the world, the forested islands of Solomons and the diverse forests of the Mekong countries, Indonesia and Malaysia and Brunei. Read more about WWF’s work and stories of impact across this diverse region.  
Stories from the Asia Pacific region
Inclusive conservation in Papua

Congo Basin
The Congo Basin is home to 70% of all forests in Africa, and is rich in flora and fauna that is unique to the region. The Congo Basin’s rich biodiversity comprises over 11,000 species of tropical plants, of which 30% are unique to the region. Learn more about WWF’s work in the region. 
Landscape restoration in Cameroon
Restoring an iconic species of the Congo basin

WWF global reports and stories
The High Cost of Cheap Water 
WWF’s forest stories

Guidance
Beyond Science-Based Targets: A Blueprint for Corporate Action on Climate and Nature
Beyond Carbon Credits: A Blueprint for High-Quality Interventions that Work for People, Nature and Climate
Beyond Net-Zero: A business pathway to spur urgent climate action towards 2030

Forests are at the heart of WWF’s work - we’ve supported the creation of protected areas, helped move the forest sector towards sustainability and transparency, galvanized momentum around forest landscape restoration; and we’re working across the world - with local and global partners - to halt deforestation, help restore forests and put deforestation-free commitments into action.

Find out more: panda.org/forests