In the Bahema Sud region, located in the Irumu territory, about fifty kilometers from the city of Bunia, a worrying phenomenon is currently occurring. The tumultuous waters of Lake Albert are surging over the land, gradually submerging the centers, fishing camps and surrounding villages. This rising water, a real natural disaster, is impacting more than 1,000 households in the village of Tagba, forcing residents to move to areas not affected by this scourge.
According to information provided by the provincial civil protection coordination, the situation is critical. Robert Ndjalonga, coordinator of this service, testifies to the increasing difficulty of accessing drinking water in the region. Overpopulation due to forced displacements is causing endless queues to obtain a simple 20-liter can of tap water, for a sum of 500 FC. Faced with this shortage, the population is forced to resort to untreated lake water, thus exposing their health to multiple risks.
These figures, although worrying, represent only a tiny part of the scale of the disaster. Investigations and relief efforts are continuing, but the emergency is acute. Local authorities must increase their efforts to provide effective assistance to the affected populations and implement emergency measures to limit the consequences of this devastating rise in water levels.
Faced with this dramatic situation, it is essential that structural measures be taken to prevent such disasters in the future. Uncontrolled urbanization, deforestation and climate change are all factors that exacerbate these natural phenomena. It is time to act preventively, by raising awareness among the population and implementing more sustainable natural resource management policies.
Thus, the rising waters of Lake Albert in Bahema Sud should not only be seen as an immediate crisis, but as a wake-up call for broader reflection on the preservation of our environment and the protection of vulnerable populations from climate hazards. Only collective and concerted action can ensure a safer and more resilient future for all.