Mongabay Explores, a podcast series delving into the world's unique locations, species, and conservation efforts, kicks off its fourth season by examining the Congo Basin. The region, home to the world's second-largest rainforest, boasts unparalleled biodiversity, including distinctive flora, fauna, and carbon-rich peatlands. In this episode, guests Adams Cassinga, founder of Conserv Congo, and Joe Eisen, executive director of Rainforest Foundation UK, discuss the challenges in safeguarding peatlands and rainforests from resource extraction, the complexities surrounding foreign aid, and the difficulties locals encounter in a nation plagued by conflict and inadequate critical infrastructure.