RDC LE PAYS SOLUTION, UNE LUEUR D’ESPOIR POUR LA PRÉSERVATION DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT À L’OCCASION DE LA JOURNÉE MONDIALE DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT

Par Eunicia Lutete, Publié le 5 juin 2024

En tant que pays solution, la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) célèbre la Journée mondiale de l’environnement le 5 juin, un événement célébré dans le monde entier et dédié à la sensibilisation et à l’action sur les questions environnementales urgentes. Le thème de cette année, « restauration des terres, désertification et résistance à la sécheresse », souligne le besoin urgent de s’attaquer à la dégradation de l’environnement et à son impact sur les écosystèmes et les communautés dans le monde entier. Il convient de noter que le Royaume d’Arabie saoudite accueillera les célébrations mondiales de la Journée mondiale de l’environnement en 2024. En tant que nation hôte, l’Arabie saoudite jouera un rôle central dans l’élaboration de la campagne de l’année et dans la mise en lumière des défis environnementaux régionaux spécifiques. C’est l’occasion de mobiliser les efforts en faveur de pratiques durables et de changements politiques à l’échelle mondiale.

Récemment, la RDC a été reconnue comme un « pays solution » pour le changement climatique en raison de ses forêts denses en carbone et de ses ressources minérales abondantes, essentielles pour les technologies propres. Le lancement de Greenpeace Afrique le 21 mars 2024 marque une étape importante pour l’Afrique centrale, car il établit le premier mouvement pour la justice climatique dans la région. Cette initiative vise à consolider les efforts des organisations de base et des parties prenantes locales dans le plaidoyer pour la préservation de l’environnement et la résolution de problèmes critiques tels que la protection des forêts, le changement climatique et les droits des communautés locales et des peuples autochtones en Afrique (Africa GreenPeace 2024).

La Journée mondiale de l’environnement joue un rôle important dans la réalisation de plusieurs objectifs de développement durable (ODD), en particulier la garantie de la santé et du bien-être (ODD 3), l’action climatique (ODD 13) et la préservation de la vie sur terre (ODD 15). Le thème de cette année, « restauration des terres, désertification et résilience à la sécheresse », rappelle l’importance de la préservation de l’environnement et des pratiques durables. La RDC possède un paysage naturel remarquable, comprenant plus de 150 millions d’hectares de forêt tropicale humide et plus de 100 km2 de tourbières. En outre, la RDC détient 10 % des réserves mondiales d’eau douce et absorbe chaque année 1,5 milliard de tonnes de dioxyde de carbone

La RDC a notamment ouvert la voie en étant le premier pays africain à convoquer la PRÉ-COP 27 en 2022, marquant ainsi un tournant dans l’engagement du pays à lutter contre le changement climatique. Cette initiative a permis à la RDC de se positionner en tant qu’acteur central dans la résolution des problèmes climatiques mondiaux, démontrant ainsi sa volonté de devenir un pays de solutions face à la crise climatique.

La vice-première ministre et ministre de l’environnement, Eve Bazaiba, a souligné lors de l’événement PRÉ-COP 27 à Kinshasa : « le rôle significatif de la RDC dans la lutte contre le changement climatique, soulignant que les riches ressources naturelles de la nation font partie intégrante de la transition écologique en cours. L’implication de la RDC dans des initiatives climatiques clés souligne son engagement en faveur de la durabilité environnementale et sa position à l’avant-garde des discussions sur le changement climatique”.

La vision du mouvement pour la justice climatique en RDC est centrée sur la gestion durable et responsable des ressources naturelles afin d’améliorer le bien-être des communautés, de sauvegarder les forêts et de faire respecter les droits des communautés forestières locales et des peuples autochtones. Dans le cadre de son engagement, la RDC s’est fixé l’objectif ambitieux de réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre de 21 % d’ici 2030, ce qui représente une amélioration par rapport à ses objectifs précédents. Bien que des progrès significatifs soient attendus, il est essentiel de continuer à s’efforcer d’obtenir des réductions encore plus substantielles pour lutter efficacement contre le changement climatique et ses conséquences profondes.

La Journée mondiale de l’environnement est un rappel poignant de la responsabilité collective de préserver et de protéger notre planète. En reconnaissant les efforts de nations telles que l’Arabie saoudite et les initiatives lancées en RDC, nous réaffirmons notre engagement en faveur de la gestion de l’environnement et du développement durable pour les générations à venir.

Africa, the cradle of humanity, a land that stirs the soul with its mystic allure. My soul chose to be born in a land where golden savannahs stretch far and wide. A land where one can witness the plains come alive with the rhythmic footsteps of herds embarking on their breath-taking migration in a timeless display of resilience and unity. A country that holds beauty, that enchants the senses and ignites wonder.

My land, my motherland Kenya. Born into a Kenyan family of Asian descent, a family that has lived and breathed Kenya and Africa for previous 5 generations, I can only identify as a Kenyan, a proud 6th generation African. Brought up in a family where ‘Being Human’ was the main principal belief. We have been raised with values that don’t differ greatly from those of the thousands of tribes that make up Africa – roots, heritage, family, faith, morals, principles and more.

Many years ago, I stood on stage at a speech writing contest in High School, where I described the strategy behind Muhamad Ali’s glorious win where he “floated like a butterfly, and stung like a bee” against George Foreman, in the fight forever known as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle.’ Years later, never even in my wildest imagination, did I imagine I would be living in the very ‘jungle’ itself, and working in the world of strategic storytelling and encouraging the amplification of Congolese voices and narratives far and wide across the globe from the heart of Africa.

Congo or as it was then called Zaire, a land that was stamped in the memory of the World as the place where Ali fought Foreman and caused a mighty Rumble in the boxing world. A battle that was immortalised in the song ‘In Zaire’ sung by Johnny Wakelin. Congo was a land everyone wanted to know about.

A land that is endowed with all the riches known to mankind. A blessed land, with a rich cultural heritage and a teeming, deserving population. A land sadly destroyed by its colonial past. Which, since its independence, is slowly trying to attain its rightful place in the World. It is here that I arrived five years back.

As I look back on my first five years of living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there have been moments of floating and very often, little stings. I moved to Kinshasa for love. In the beginning, I can honestly admit, it was not love for the city or the country or the people – I didn’t know enough about this 

ginormous country and the 100+ million people that fill its borders – it was personal love. But five years later, I never thought I could love a country and its people as though they were mine. That love comes from the heart that feels the mystic rhythm of the African land, and I couldn’t be prouder to call it home.

You can never shake the ancient dust of Africa off your boots – no matter how far and wide you travel.

Having lived in London for thirteen years followed by a few years in the Middle East, returning to Africa was natural. 

The love for Africa always remains in the soul. Living in the heart and soul of Central Africa, has been an adventure.

The narratives that have filled Western Media have sung a different song for many years, call it geo-politics, strategic positioning, economic control, all things aside, the story of the Congo has never really been told loudly by the Congolese themselves. From the outside looking in, the perceptions are dotted and plagued with negativity, but on the ground, the beating hearts of the Congolese are rumbling a little louder day by day towards progress, and it’s in these slivers of hope, that the true stories are revealed.

The stories that spotlight the young entrepreneur battling to build a viable business, young students carving out their careers currently into untapped and underdeveloped industries, the non-existent middle class that should build the private sector and contribute to its growth and the country’s economy, international investors building projects that create jobs and wealth for the locals as much as it does for the financial interest in the Congo. We can’t talk about changing the narrative of a country when we don’t discuss the positive changes that education, infrastructure developments, economic policies, universal health care, food self sufficiency etc can contribute towards developing Congo.

In Africa, a transformative era is on the horizon as the continent sets its sights on change and development like never before, and country examples like Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Morocco, and Kenya are a testament to these positive changes. A combined drive by the Africans to build an Africa by Africans for a future developed Africa. A daunting task as a fellow African who first arrived in Kinshasa for a two-week trip which quickly extended from month to month and snowballed into creating a business in the field of strategic advisory and communications. It was created around the simple premise – the African narrative needs to be written by the Africans, and the Congolese needed a platform for their voices to be heard as far and wide across the globe.

At the heart of Africa, the center of its soul, the Congolese beats are picking up. Business is quietly picking up, post the first peaceful democratic elections. As the incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi embarks on his second mandate, the world waits with bated breath for the promised change and greater development, the impact of which can be felt across the entire population. Whether its infrastructure, governance reform, education, better health, access to basic needs – there are plenty of conversations to be had. Storytelling, an essential part of Congolese culture, an oral tradition that is filled with narratives, stories, and songs, need to be told from the perceptions and opinions of the Congolese.

In the past, and especially in 2023 the power and bias of the international media came to the forefront.

Geopolitics and powerful Media Houses controlled and amplified the narrative that in their perception was important. It’s only natural to question the visibility of certain global issues over another. This raises the question about the impact of our voices when catastrophes and issues affecting an African country are narrated differently. Whether it’s election, unrest or other catastrophes affecting an African country, sometimes the western media does not consider it newsworthy because they do not have an in-depth understanding and information of the issues and disasters that affects this Continent.

There are a lot of positive changes happening as well, and these news worthy developments need to be made a part of the Global narrative. Positive or negative these conversations need to be had openly and who better than the Africans to be at the forefront of this narrative. The true voices of the Congolese need to be heard from their heart and soul and from their perspective. That’s when the true picture of the reality of their lives, struggles and aspirations emerges.

There is a need for a platform where the Congolese voices and the African voices can be heard, where views can be freely given not as a negative but as a positive approach to help bring the DRC to take its rightful place, not just in Africa but also in the World. Is it not our experiences from around the world when put together with like minded individuals – where greatness begins? Where stories and narratives become the basis for legacies.

DRConversations is the platform created as a gift for all the voices that need to be heard, for all the emotions that need to be expressed and to bring forth the dreams and aspirations of a nation on the cusp of development. Join this journey by sharing openly your knowledge and experience to make DRC a happy, positive and progressive Nation.

It’s time for another rumble in the jungle – Welcome to the conversations from the Congo.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             KS