For the living environment (cadre de vie), there is no single national authority in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Responsibilities lie, among others, with the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Water and Hydraulic Resources, the central urban water utility (REGIDESO), the Congolese Water Office (Office Congolais des Eaux), provinces and local administrative units, as well as private, civil-society and humanitarian organisations. Practical implementation remains highly location-dependent. Many cities are growing rapidly and often without planning. This creates bottlenecks in roads, energy, drinking water, wastewater, drainage and waste collection. According to the available information, Kinshasa generates around 12,000 tonnes of waste per day; about 98 percent is openly dumped or burned. Blocked drains increase flooding. Projects such as the Kin La Belle urban-improvement project (Kin La Belle), the Kin Elenda project (Kin Elenda) and the PRIUR programme (PRIUR) improve individual areas but do not replace nationwide uniform provision. Under the 2015 Water Law, water is a public resource and a public service. REGIDESO mainly serves urban areas, while wells, boreholes, public standpipes and private, non-profit and humanitarian providers supply additional services. According to ministerial data used in a REGIDESO report for the end of 2022, fewer than 30 percent of the population had access to drinking water. For 2022, WHO reports that 16 percent of household wastewater was safely treated. Connection, repairs, price and supply reliability depend on the location, available capacity and provider concerned. Air pollution is caused mainly by household fires, traffic, industry, waste burning and dust. According to WHO data for 2019, the urban annual average concentration of PM2.5 was 27.11 micrograms per cubic metre; in 2022, only about 4 percent of the population used clean fuels. A dense nationwide monitoring network is not documented. Environmental incidents can be reported through the environmental incident reporting system (ECO-ALERTES) and tracked as cases. Noise, odour and visual pollution fall under environmental rules, particularly the 2011 Environmental Law as amended and the 2023 regulation. Permits, environmental impact assessments and requirements for certain facilities form the central formal protection route. A uniform nationwide monitoring system or standardised route for neighbourhood complaints is not documented. Green and blue spaces such as parks, trees, riverbanks and other publicly usable open spaces are scarce, damaged or affected by waste in many places. The national biodiversity strategy for 2025 to 2030 provides for their expansion, interconnection and equal usability. For the immediate living environment, the main concerns are shade, cooling, drainage, flood protection and accessible places to stay; nature as a separate subject does not belong to this area. Floods, landslides, droughts, storms, water-related disease outbreaks and conflicts affect the safety of the living environment. The early-warning programme (Early Warnings for All) has been developed since 2026 under the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior with support from UNDRR. Disaster-management regulations Nos. 38 and 39 of November 2025 strengthen state coordination, but warning systems, access and response capacity still vary between provinces. In the east, armed conflict and displacement add movement and supply risks. Public participation is provided for in certain environmental impact assessments, environmental reviews and spatial-planning procedures. Depending on the procedure, information, public hearings and complaint mechanisms may be available. The 2025 Spatial Planning Law provides for local councils involving administration, local councils, local administrative units, civil society, traditional authorities, communities and private companies. In practice, participation and enforcement remain fragmented. Spatial planning takes place through national, provincial and local instruments such as the national planning instrument (PNAT), the spatial planning instrument (SNAT) and the local planning instrument (PLAT). According to the available reference figures, about 44 percent of the population, or around 40 million people, live in cities. Water, sanitation, waste, drainage, flooding, air pollution, erosion and conflict-related service interruptions are therefore especially relevant to the development of the living environment. Environmental and water law contain protection, precautionary and polluter-pays principles; depending on the procedure, operators of authorised facilities have duties relating to environmental assessment and emissions and waste control. Fees, deadlines and service guarantees are not documented as uniform nationwide.
Surroundings in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The living environment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo includes water, sanitation, waste, drainage, air, noise, green and blue spaces, and protection from flooding, erosion and other hazards. Responsibilities are distributed among national ministries, provinces, local administrative units, REGIDESO, private services and humanitarian organisations. Access and quality therefore vary greatly by location, infrastructure, conflict conditions and project funding.
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