Historically, the Congo River has been relatively unaffected by humans. This is partly due to the rugged terrain, harsh elements, and limited navigability of the river. Starting in 1482 with Portuguese explorer Diogo Cao's, there were many attempts to traverse the river. However, these efforts were often short and rarely lead to permanent settlements in the region. Factors such as the river's vicious animals, rushing rapids, unpredictable weather, and deathly diseases all contributed to warding off the colonization of technologically advanced powers near the river. Fear was another element that kept Westerners from pioneering the land around the Congo. There are many stories of violent native peoples, such as the cannibalistic Engombe tribe of Abattoir (which means slaughterhouse), who earned a reputation for taking explorers captive and killing them (Keener). While navigating the uncharted river was extremely difficult and dangerous for explores, natives had mastered the territory and knew how to maneuver the ever shifting river and how to avoid having their ships destroyed by a collision with a sandbar or rock. These natives, however, had very little impact on the water because they lived off the land and did not have access to modern technologies that could potentially harm the ecosystem. It wasn't until more recently, when intruders overcame the challenges of the Congo and set up permanent settlements, that more substantial human impacts began to pose a more serious threat to the natural ecosystem of the river (Keener).
Current human impacts on the ecosystem:
Image source: Moore
Image credit: Gunther
Image source: Logging in the Congo River Basin Forest
Image source: Logging in the Congo River Basin Forest
Pollution from emerging urban centers along the river in the last few decades have posed a threat to the Congo River ecosystem. As cities develop and more people congregate to these regions, there is an increase in pollutants in the river. A major cause of pollution in the Congo River comes from boats that are used for transportation. Not only do these boats use a lot fuel but it common for debris to fall off ships that are transporting goods and materials (Hildreth). The river has also been affected by logging operations which cause soil erosion, a non-point source pollutant, which ends up in the river, increasing the amount of sediments in the water (WWF - Congo River & Flooded Forests). Some turbidity in a river is a completely natural phenomena and that animals and plants are adapted to. However, excessive sediments in a river, often caused by human interference, can impact a river ecosystem by reducing light's ability to penetrate and allow for photosynthesis. Plants that are very sensitive to changes in turbidity, may suffer greatly from a substantial increase in sediments. Particles from erosion can damage a fish's gill system and the accumulation of sediments on the river floor can harm the development of vulnerable larvae (Turbidity - IADC). While small plants and animals in a river may seem relatively insignificant, the destruction of just one such species can have major effects on the rest of the ecosystem. Not only have small sized animals in the Congo river ecosystem been impacted from the increase in civilization around the river, but also larger species. The hippopotamus, for example, has been greatly threatened by poachers. In the mid-1970s, Virunga National Park was home to about 29,000 hippos. In 2008, only 800 remained and scientists fear that they may soon become extinct in the Congo (Sundaram).
While the Congo River has experienced some minor changes in its ecosystem due to human interference, the conservation status of the ecosystem and its plant and animal species is relatively stable. The urban areas described above are fairly sparse and have not yet grown so extensively as to severely threaten the ecosystem. This ecoregion continues to be very rich in biodiversity. In fact, it is home to more than 700 species of fish- 500 of which are endemic (WWF - Congo River & Flooded Forests). It is because of this species richness, that it is so important to preserve the Congo River ecosystem. While increase in civilization in the regions surrounding the river has had minimal damage thus far, if industrialization continues at a rapid rate, greater signs of environmental disruption may appear.
