The El Niño climate phenomenon, with a peak intensity expected in December 2026, is raising concerns in the country’s eastern provinces. During a crisis briefing held on Wednesday, October 21 at the Ministry of the Interior in Kinshasa, meteorological experts and emergency services warned about the risks of flooding and landslides.
According to forecasts from the National Agency for Meteorology and Satellite Remote Sensing (Mettelsat), rainfall could exceed seasonal norms by 30 to 40% in the east of the country. This situation raises fears of rivers overflowing, particularly in the Semliki and Rusizi basins. The hills of Goma and Bukavu are also among the areas of concern due to landslide risks.
More than 450 sites exposed
Faced with these risks, the General Directorate of Civil Protection says it has mapped more than 450 vulnerable sites. These areas include homes built on unstable slopes or near lakes and rivers.
Authorities insist on the need to act before the first disasters occur. The Director General of Civil Protection is calling on residents of areas identified as dangerous to leave them without waiting for material damage or loss of life.
Emergency services are mobilizing with the support of the Red Cross of the DRC to strengthen prevention and disseminate alerts at the community level.
Prevention on the front line
Beyond meteorological forecasts, the main challenge is to turn the alert into concrete measures on the ground. Identifying at-risk sites should make it possible to anticipate population movements and limit their exposure to disasters.
As December approaches, coordination between authorities, emergency services and communities will be crucial to protect the residents of Goma, Bukavu and the other vulnerable areas concerned.
Héritier Maila / Radio okapi
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