Conversation: Deforestation is now the second leading cause of global climate change. Debates on this topic often centre on the Amazon, given the high-profile destruction of its forest biodiversity. However, a troubling rise in deforestation in Central Africa - home to the world's second largest tropical forest - has received surprisingly little attention. Two-thirds of Africa's remaining forests are located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These forests span 1.7 million km, which is equivalent to...