Geography of Gabon: Difference between revisions

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==Forests==
===REDD+ reference levels and monitoring===
Under the [[UNFCCC]] [[REDD+]] framework, Gabon has submitted a national [[forest reference level]] (FRL). On the UNFCCC REDD+ Web Platform, Gabon's 2021 submission is listed as having an assessed reference level, and the platform also lists reported REDD+ results, a [[Cancún safeguards|safeguards]] information summary, and a national REDD+ strategy.<ref name="UNFCCC_REDD_GAB">{{cite web |title=Gabon (GAB) - Submissions provided by Country |website=REDD+ Web Platform |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) |url=https://redd.unfccc.int/submissions.html?country=GA}}</ref>
The first assessed FRL, technically assessed in 2021, covered all five REDD+ activities at national scale - reducing emissions from [[deforestation]], reducing emissions from [[forest degradation]], conservation of forest carbon stocks, [[sustainable forest management|sustainable management of forests]], and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Using a historical reference period of 2000-2009, the assessed FRL was -96,468,186 [[carbon dioxide equivalent|t CO2 eq]] per year, revised from -97,055,549 t CO2 eq per year in the original submission.<ref name="UNFCCC_TAR_GAB_2021">{{cite report |title=Report on the technical assessment of the proposed forest reference level of Gabon submitted in 2021 |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) |date=31 October 2021 |id=FCCC/TAR/2021/GAB |url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/tar2021_GAB.pdf}}</ref> The technical assessment states that the benchmark included [[biomass|above-ground biomass]], [[biomass|below-ground biomass]], deadwood and [[plant litter|litter]], excluded [[soil organic carbon]], and reported [[carbon dioxide|CO2]] only.<ref name="UNFCCC_TAR_GAB_2021" />
The same UNFCCC country page lists Gabon's reported REDD+ results for 2010-2018 against that assessed FRL, and records results-based payments from the Central African Forest Initiative for 2016 and 2017.<ref name="UNFCCC_REDD_GAB" />
=== Tree cover extent and loss ===
[[Global Forest Watch]] publishes annual estimates of tree cover loss and 2000 tree cover extent derived from time-series analysis of [[Landsat program|Landsat]] satellite imagery in the Global Forest Change dataset.<ref name="GFWGABdashboard">{{cite web
|title=Gabon Deforestation Rates & Statistics
|website=Global Forest Watch
|url=https://www.globalforestwatch.org/dashboards/country/GAB/
}}</ref><ref name="HansenEtAl2013">{{cite journal
|last1=Hansen
|first1=Matthew C.
|last2=Potapov
|first2=Peter V.
|last3=Moore
|first3=Rebecca
|last4=Hancher
|first4=Matt
|last5=Turubanova
|first5=Svetlana A.
|last6=Tyukavina
|first6=Alexandra
|display-authors=3
|title=High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change
|journal=Science
|volume=342
|issue=6160
|year=2013
|pages=850-853
|doi=10.1126/science.1244693
}}</ref><ref name="GFWTCLossAbout">{{cite web
|title=Tree cover loss
|website=Global Forest Watch Open Data Portal
|url=https://data.globalforestwatch.org/documents/gfw::tree-cover-loss/about
}}</ref><ref name="GFWTCCover2000About">{{cite web
|title=Tree cover (2000)
|website=Global Forest Watch Open Data Portal
|url=https://data.globalforestwatch.org/documents/gfw::tree-cover-2000/about
}}</ref> In this framework, tree cover refers to vegetation taller than 5 m (including natural forests and tree plantations), and tree cover loss is defined as the complete removal of tree cover canopy for a given year, regardless of cause.<ref name="GFRTreeCoverLoss2023">{{cite web
|title=How much forest was lost in 2023?
|website=Global Forest Review
|url=https://gfr.wri.org/global-tree-cover-loss-data-2023
}}</ref>
For Gabon, country statistics report cumulative tree cover loss of {{convert|554641|ha|km2|abbr=on}} from 2001 to 2024 (about 2.2% of its 2000 tree cover area).<ref name="GFWGABdashboard" /> For tree cover density greater than 30%, country statistics report a 2000 tree cover extent of {{convert|24690954|ha|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name="GFWGABdashboard" /> The charts and table below display this data. In simple terms, the annual loss number is the area where tree cover disappeared in that year, and the extent number shows what remains of the 2000 tree cover baseline after subtracting cumulative loss. Forest regrowth is not included in the dataset.<ref name="GFWGABdashboard" /><ref name="GFRTreeCoverLoss2023" />
{{ChartDirect
|type=bar
|align=center
|width=100%
|x=2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024
|xType=integer
|y1=150.83,138.52,168.46,99.83,176.99,193.00,165.01,173.67,182.53,106.76,181.60,174.76,444.48,487.52,254.72,321.51,386.44,267.87,285.61,220.22,183.17,294.55,197.06,291.30
|y1Title=Annual tree cover loss (km²)
|caption=Annual tree cover loss in Gabon, 2001–2024.<ref name="GFWGABdashboard" />
}}
{{ChartDirect
|type=line
|align=center
|width=100%
|x=2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024
|xType=integer
|y1=246758.71,246620.19,246451.73,246351.90,246174.91,245981.91,245816.90,245643.23,245460.70,245353.94,245172.34,244997.58,244553.10,244065.58,243810.86,243489.35,243102.91,242835.04,242549.43,242329.21,242146.04,241851.49,241654.43,241363.13
|y1Title=Extent minus cumulative loss (km²)
|caption=Tree cover extent in 2000 minus cumulative tree cover loss in Gabon, 2001–2024 (loss-only residual; does not account for gain).<ref name="GFWGABdashboard" />
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed" style="text-align:right;"
|+ Annual tree cover extent and loss<ref name="GFWGABdashboard" />
! Year
! Tree cover extent (km2){{efn|name=regrowth|This residual measure does not include forest regrowth.}}
! Annual tree cover loss (km2)
|-
| 2001 || 246,758.71 || 150.83
|-
| 2002 || 246,620.19 || 138.52
|-
| 2003 || 246,451.73 || 168.46
|-
| 2004 || 246,351.90 || 99.83
|-
| 2005 || 246,174.91 || 176.99
|-
| 2006 || 245,981.91 || 193.00
|-
| 2007 || 245,816.90 || 165.01
|-
| 2008 || 245,643.23 || 173.67
|-
| 2009 || 245,460.70 || 182.53
|-
| 2010 || 245,353.94 || 106.76
|-
| 2011 || 245,172.34 || 181.60
|-
| 2012 || 244,997.58 || 174.76
|-
| 2013 || 244,553.10 || 444.48
|-
| 2014 || 244,065.58 || 487.52
|-
| 2015 || 243,810.86 || 254.72
|-
| 2016 || 243,489.35 || 321.51
|-
| 2017 || 243,102.91 || 386.44
|-
| 2018 || 242,835.04 || 267.87
|-
| 2019 || 242,549.43 || 285.61
|-
| 2020 || 242,329.21 || 220.22
|-
| 2021 || 242,146.04 || 183.17
|-
| 2022 || 241,851.49 || 294.55
|-
| 2023 || 241,654.43 || 197.06
|-
| 2024 || 241,363.13 || 291.30
|}


=== Climate change ===
=== Climate change ===
Gabon is highly vulnerable to [[climate change]] due to its dense coastal population, economic hubs along the shore, and dependence on [[Rainfed agriculture|rain-fed agriculture]].<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal |title=Gabon |url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/gabon# |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org |language=en}}</ref> [[Sea level rise|Rising sea levels]] threaten to erode the coastline and contaminate freshwater sources with saltwater. The country is already experiencing more frequent and severe [[extreme weather]] events, such as floods, droughts, and storms, which damage infrastructure, displace communities, and disrupt [[food security]] and livelihoods.<ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Othering & Belonging Institute |title=Gabon Case Study |url=https://belonging.berkeley.edu/climatedisplacement/case-studies/gabon |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=belonging.berkeley.edu}}</ref>
Gabon is highly vulnerable to [[climate change]] due to its dense coastal population, economic hubs along the shore, and dependence on [[Rainfed agriculture|rain-fed agriculture]].<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal |title=Gabon |url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/gabon# |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org |language=en}}</ref> [[Sea level rise|Rising sea levels]] threaten to erode the coastline and contaminate freshwater sources with saltwater. The country is already experiencing more frequent and severe [[extreme weather]] events, such as floods, droughts, and storms, which damage infrastructure, displace communities, and disrupt [[food security]] and livelihoods.<ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Othering & Belonging Institute |title=Gabon Case Study |url=https://belonging.berkeley.edu/climatedisplacement/case-studies/gabon |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=belonging.berkeley.edu}}</ref>


To adapt, Gabon prioritises protecting its coastal areas, as well as its fishing, agriculture, and forestry industries.<ref name=":17" /> Gabon's vast forests act as a net [[carbon sink]].<ref name=":19">{{Cite web |last=UNDP Biofin |title=Gabon |url=https://www.biofin.org/gabon#: |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=BIOFIN |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":20">{{Cite book |last=UNFCCC |url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/FSVR1_GAB_Jun2024.pdf |title=Record of the facilitative sharing of views at the sixtieth session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation: Gabon |publication-date=5 August 2024}}</ref> It is recognized as a global leader in [[climate action]] and is widely considered the most carbon-positive country in the world, due to its strong conservation efforts.<ref name=":18" /> However, Gabon’s economy remains heavily dependent on oil and other natural resources, leaving it exposed to global market shifts and climate-related risks. In 2023, the country accounted for just over 0.04% of global [[greenhouse gas emissions]] (24.7 million tonnes). Gabon has pledged to stay [[Net-zero emissions|carbon neutral]] beyond 2050 and, with adequate support, aims to maintain net carbon removals of 100 million tons CO₂ equivalent per year beyond that date.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |last=Climate Watch |title=Gabon |url=https://www.climatewatchdata.org/countries/GAB?end_year=2021&start_year=1990 |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=www.climatewatchdata.org}}</ref> It also seeks to expand its [[renewable energy]] sector.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |title=National Climate Plan (Plan Climat) - Climate Change Laws of the World |url=https://climate-laws.org/document/national-climate-plan-plan-climat_082c |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=climate-laws.org}}</ref>
To adapt, Gabon prioritises protecting its coastal areas, as well as its fishing, agriculture, and forestry industries.<ref name=":17" /> Gabon's vast forests act as a net [[carbon sink]].<ref name=":19">{{Cite web |last=UNDP Biofin |title=Gabon |url=https://www.biofin.org/gabon#: |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=BIOFIN |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":20">{{Cite book |last=UNFCCC |url=https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/FSVR1_GAB_Jun2024.pdf |title=Record of the facilitative sharing of views at the sixtieth session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation: Gabon |publication-date=5 August 2024}}</ref> It is recognized as a global leader in [[climate action]] and is widely considered the most carbon-positive country in the world, due to its strong conservation efforts.<ref name=":18" /> However, Gabon’s economy remains heavily dependent on oil and other natural resources, leaving it exposed to global market shifts and climate-related risks. In 2023, the country accounted for just over 0.04% of global [[greenhouse gas emissions]] (24.7 million tonnes). Gabon has pledged to stay [[Net-zero emissions|carbon neutral]] beyond 2050 and, with adequate support, aims to maintain net carbon removals of 100 million tons CO<sub>2</sub> equivalent per year beyond that date.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |last=Climate Watch |title=Gabon |url=https://www.climatewatchdata.org/countries/GAB?end_year=2021&start_year=1990 |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=www.climatewatchdata.org}}</ref> It also seeks to expand its [[renewable energy]] sector.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |title=National Climate Plan (Plan Climat) - Climate Change Laws of the World |url=https://climate-laws.org/document/national-climate-plan-plan-climat_082c |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=climate-laws.org}}</ref>


== Extreme points ==
== Extreme points ==
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==See also==
==See also==
*[[Bam Bam Amphitheaters]]
*[[Bam Bam Amphitheaters]]
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}


== References ==
== References ==
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{{CIA World Factbook}}
{{CIA World Factbook}}


==External links==
{{Sister bar}}
{{Sister project links}}


{{Geography of Africa}}
{{Geography of Africa}}
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