Oil exploitation on the Atlantic Ocean coastline is having a devastating impact on local communities in Muanda, in the Kongo Central province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to a report published by the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for the Monitoring of Reforms and Public Action (CORAP), this activity in no way benefits the inhabitants of the region and even aggravates the poverty that reigns there.
The consequences of oil exploitation on the daily life of local communities are multiple. First of all, the environment is strongly impacted. Oil operations cause pollution of soils, rivers and the ocean, leading to the destruction of the marine and terrestrial ecosystem. Natural resources, which are nevertheless vital for the subsistence of the inhabitants, are thus compromised.
In addition, oil exploitation creates very few jobs for locals. The majority of positions are occupied by foreign workers, which excludes local populations from the creation of wealth generated by this industry. On the contrary, poverty is accentuated because the inhabitants see their natural resources becoming scarce while the profits from oil exploitation mainly benefit foreign companies.
Finally, the presence of oil infrastructure generates land conflicts, with forced displacements and expropriations that affect local communities. Agricultural land is often confiscated for the establishment of oil installations, thus depriving the inhabitants of their means of subsistence and their food autonomy.
It is therefore necessary to assess and rethink the impact of oil exploitation on the local communities of Muanda. Measures must be taken to guarantee a fair distribution of the benefits of this activity and to protect the environment and the natural resources essential to the survival of the inhabitants.
Sources:
– Article link: The production of hydrocarbons on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean does not benefit local communities at all, according to the conclusions of the report of the Coalition of civil society organizations for the monitoring of reforms and public action (CORAP) published in Kinshasa (DRC) on July 19. Oil exploitation is at the origin of many harmful effects on the environment and accentuates the poverty of the local communities of Muanda (Kongo Central) informs the same document. – What is the impact of the exploitation of hydrocarbons on the daily life of the local communities of Muanda?
Marcel Ngombo discusses this subject with Emmanuel Musuyu, coordinator of the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for the Monitoring of Reforms and Public Action (CORAP)