In 2025, the Democratic Republic of the Congo produced 3.2 million metric tons of copper, making it the world’s second largest copper producer. Copper and cobalt mining is central to the DRC’s economy and to global mineral supply chains, while also supporting a wide range of livelihoods through both large-scale mining and artisanal and small-scale mining. At the same time, the concentration and expansion of mining activities, particularly in the Copperbelt, have created significant pressures on land, water, air quality, biodiversity, and surrounding communities. These impacts vary considerably between locations and types of mining, and in many cases interact with longer-standing challenges related to urbanization, infrastructure, poverty, and historical mining activity.