The latest data suggest that the Congo rainforest is the planet's most important 'lung'. Global rainforests absorb a vast amount of carbon dioxide, slowing down global warming. According to researchers from Ghent University, the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the world's most significant carbon sinks – more important than the Amazon rainforest in South America.

For the purposes of the study, a 57-metre tall 'climate tower' was built in the middle of the Yangambi river basin, which is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The aforementioned calculations are not yet conclusive, but preliminary data indicate a massive rate of carbon dioxide absorption, explains Ghent University representative Pascal Boeckx (Pascal Boeckx).