Boali and Deforestation

By Isidore M'BAYO | LNC
Translated into English by Susan CARTER-JONES l LNC

(Bangui, October 24, 2026 | LNC) In the forests surrounding the town of Boali, the felling of trees to produce charcoal for cooking or heating is a common practice. However, this activity causes water levels in the river to drop, while deforestation decimates fish populations and jeopardizes fishing—a vital source of income for many local residents. As fisherman Jean-Romeo Senguemboli points out: "Our main problem is the felling of trees. It has to stop. Trees are being cut down to make charcoal. But if there are no trees left here, the land will scorch, the water will dry up even further, and soon there will be no fish at all. Look: we used to catch much larger carp. With the extreme heat and climate change, the fish have become smaller. We just have to make do with whatever we can still manage to catch."
According to Flore Ouagbele, a fishmonger at the Boali market: "Fish are becoming scarce, even as demand continues to rise. Stocks are being depleted rapidly. Buyers come from Yaloké, Bangui, and other towns to stock up. As a result, even we, the residents of Boali, no longer have enough fish. It’s a genuine shortage. Fishermen are finding fewer and fewer fish in the water, and it has become a serious problem." Meanwhile, Yves Kaengonza, an environmental expert at the Central African Republic’s Ministry of Water, Forests, Hunting, and Fishing, states:
"The felling of trees is indeed having an impact on water resources in the Central African Republic." Let us begin with the first point: the effects—namely, an increase in water turbidity and a decrease in oxygen levels. As I mentioned, this falls under the first point. A related second point is the destruction of spawning grounds.
A report published last year by the WWF states that Africa has the highest per capita annual catch of freshwater fish in the world, averaging 2.6 kilograms. According to the NGO, the construction of dams and irrigation canals, the conversion of land and wetlands for agricultural use, urbanization, and mining are also damaging African freshwater ecosystems.

LNC
Date: October 24, 2026
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