Authors :
Emmanuel KASONGO MUNGONGO
Volume/Issue :
Volume 8 - 2023, Issue 4 - April
Google Scholar :
https://bit.ly/3TmGbDi
Scribd :
https://bit.ly/3W16Wyn
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8280885
Abstract :
Known as the world's second largest carbon
and biodiversity reserve after Brazil, the DR Congo has
initiated since 2006 a process of decentralisation which
promotes positive values in terms of the distribution of
powers between the central government and the provinces
and between the provinces and the decentralised territorial
entities (ETD) but whose collateral effects in terms of
environmental drifts risk calling into question the expected
advantages of this process. The unbridled creation of
Cities and Communes (rural in particular) driven by
decentralization has made it possible to go from 31 to 67
cities, i.e. 46.2% increase, and 117 to 503 Communes, i.e.
232.6% increase between 2011 and 2013.
The common denominator of all these ETDs remains the
weak governance capacity of all public domains and
especially their dependence on nature to cover energy and
housing needs. The environmental drifts caused by the
challenges of urban governance will be accentuated in the
new cities created during the process of implementing
decentralisation in the DRC in the sense that they are for
the most part located in rural areas and deprived of
resources and infrastructure (energy, water resources,
comfortable housing, roads and drainage, etc.) to meet the
needs of the inhabitants. The latter must resort to nature
to meet their needs. The invasion of the countryside by
cities of spontaneous generation by decentralisation
damages the environment through: deforestation, floods,
erosion, and more, thus becoming the daily lot of the
inhabitants. The destruction of the environment then
becomes an obstacle to sustainable development. The
decentralisation reform supposed to promote sustainable
local development would have become desolate in its
creative implementation. Resilience mechanisms are
possible if we stick to the respect of standards at the
national, regional and international levels, in particular
national and sub-regional legislation, the various
mechanisms put in place by the World Bank within the
framework environmental and social safeguards, as well as
environmental protection mechanisms such as
reforestation, the social responsibility of mining companies
as well as the proper implementation of Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
(REDD)+ process mechanisms crowned by citizen
engagement and design of durable cities
Keywords :
Decentralisation; Urban Governance; Environment; Environmental Risk; Durable Cities
Known as the world's second largest carbon
and biodiversity reserve after Brazil, the DR Congo has
initiated since 2006 a process of decentralisation which
promotes positive values in terms of the distribution of
powers between the central government and the provinces
and between the provinces and the decentralised territorial
entities (ETD) but whose collateral effects in terms of
environmental drifts risk calling into question the expected
advantages of this process. The unbridled creation of
Cities and Communes (rural in particular) driven by
decentralization has made it possible to go from 31 to 67
cities, i.e. 46.2% increase, and 117 to 503 Communes, i.e.
232.6% increase between 2011 and 2013.
The common denominator of all these ETDs remains the
weak governance capacity of all public domains and
especially their dependence on nature to cover energy and
housing needs. The environmental drifts caused by the
challenges of urban governance will be accentuated in the
new cities created during the process of implementing
decentralisation in the DRC in the sense that they are for
the most part located in rural areas and deprived of
resources and infrastructure (energy, water resources,
comfortable housing, roads and drainage, etc.) to meet the
needs of the inhabitants. The latter must resort to nature
to meet their needs. The invasion of the countryside by
cities of spontaneous generation by decentralisation
damages the environment through: deforestation, floods,
erosion, and more, thus becoming the daily lot of the
inhabitants. The destruction of the environment then
becomes an obstacle to sustainable development. The
decentralisation reform supposed to promote sustainable
local development would have become desolate in its
creative implementation. Resilience mechanisms are
possible if we stick to the respect of standards at the
national, regional and international levels, in particular
national and sub-regional legislation, the various
mechanisms put in place by the World Bank within the
framework environmental and social safeguards, as well as
environmental protection mechanisms such as
reforestation, the social responsibility of mining companies
as well as the proper implementation of Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
(REDD)+ process mechanisms crowned by citizen
engagement and design of durable cities
Keywords :
Decentralisation; Urban Governance; Environment; Environmental Risk; Durable Cities
