Congo woodcutting. Local woodcutters (one not seen), in a tropical rain forest in the Congo Basin, using a double-handed saw to cut planks from a felled tree trunk. The planks, which will take several days to produce, will be sold locally and in the big cities. Demand for timber has risen as the population in the Congo Basin has increased. The wood felled here is for use as firewood, charcoal and planks, as opposed to the mechanised logging carried out for European markets. In some areas, local cutting on a large scale contributes to deforestation and has been made illegal. This woodcutter is from Yembe, in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.