Sustainable cities will be a reality in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the coming years. The DRC authorities will receive 50 million euros from French Development Agency (AFD) to launch a “sustainable cities” project in several cities. The funding is in the form of a loan (€40 million) and a grant (€10 million).
The related ceremony was held recently in the capital Kinshasa in the presence of Guy Loando Mboyo, the Minister of State for Regional Planning, Bruno Aubert, the French Ambassador to the DRC, and François Jacquier, AFD’s Director for Central Africa. The municipality of Boma in the province of Kongo-Central has been chosen as the pilot town for this sustainable development project.
This port area with a total population of 1.1 million is affected by flooding and dilapidated sewerage networks, among other problems. According to the DRC government, the French funding will initially be used to carry out “in-depth feasibility studies for an area that complies with environmental standards and offers a pleasant quality of life”.
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While awaiting the technical details of the work, researchers are also advocating the establishment of eco-villages in the DRC. This is the case of the deputy coordinator of the Congolese Agency for Ecological Transition and Sustainable Development (ACTEDD). According to Jean de Dieu Minengu, this will promote strong social inclusion through “accessibility to communication routes and basic social services (schools, health centres, markets) for rural populations”.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi