Write explanatory notes on lumbering in Zaire under the following headings (a) areas (b) factors (c) importance (d) problems (e) possible solutions

Answer Details

Lumbering in Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo)

(a) Areas

• The equatorial rain forest of the Congo (Zaire) Basin, especially along the Congo River and its tributaries and around towns such as Kisangani, Mbandaka and the lower Congo near the coast.

(b) Factors favouring lumbering

• Dense tropical hardwood forest with valuable trees (mahogany, ebony, iroko, obeche) growing over a very large area.
• Hot, wet equatorial climate giving continuous tree growth and quick regeneration.
• The Congo River and its tributaries provide cheap water transport for floating and moving logs to sawmills and ports.
• Labour supply and a demand for timber at home and abroad.

(c) Importance

• Provides timber for building, furniture and fuel.
• Earns foreign exchange from the export of hardwood.
• Gives employment to loggers, sawmill and transport workers.
• Supplies raw material for paper, plywood and other wood industries and yields government revenue.

(d) Problems

• Dense forest and difficult terrain with swamps make felling and haulage hard.
• Mixture of species: valuable trees are scattered among many worthless ones, so much effort yields little.
• Poor transport away from the rivers, and inadequate roads and railways.
• Rapid decay of felled timber by heat, humidity, insects and fungi, and shortage of capital and skilled labour.

(e) Possible solutions

• Build and improve roads and railways and provide modern machinery for felling and haulage.
• Practise selective and scientific forestry with re-afforestation to sustain the forest.
• Treat and preserve timber against decay and pests, and provide capital and training for workers.