A cut tree stump along a logging road within an ITB (Industrie de transformation de bois) logging concession. ITB is actively logging in the region of Lac Tumba, with two logging permits covering 294,000 ha of forests. More than 21 million hectares of rainforest are now allocated to the logging industry. The World Bank and other donors view logging as a way to alleviate poverty and promote economic development. Expansion of logging into remaining areas of intact forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will destroy globally critical carbon reserves and impact biodiversity. Beyond environmental impacts, logging in the region exacerbates poverty and leads to social conflicts.