More than 88% of Gabon is rainforest

Gabon's forest covers nearly 90% of the country. Rainforests are critical for absorbing the world's greenhouse-gas emissions, and Gabon's rainforest absorbs more carbon than the country emits. Gabon became the first African country to receive payment for reducing carbon emissions through rainforest protection in 2019. The Central African Forest Initiative, based in the United Nations, has paid $17 million of a $150 million contract. The figure is calculated using a formula based on the number of tonnes of carbon that would have been released otherwise.

Gabon's annual deforestation rate is low and stable in comparison to the rest of the world, making it one of the few remaining High Forest, Low Deforestation (HFLD) countries on the planet. This low rate is the result of a combination of socioeconomic circumstances and deliberate political action: low population density, high urban population (almost 90%), and reliance on food imports rather than local agriculture; combined with strong forest protection policies such as a network of 13 protected areas and increased sustainable management practices in the forestry and timber sector.