The recent news of floods hitting villages around Lake Albert in the Ituri region reminds us of the fragility of ecosystems and the direct impact of climate change on populations. Nearly eighty villages were submerged by the raging waters, leaving thousands of affected families behind. These floods are not only natural phenomena, but also reveal the flaws in our risk management and climate hazard adaptation policies.
The provincial coordination of the civil protection service is sounding the alarm, calling on residents of areas that have not yet been affected to evacuate as a precaution. It is undeniable that these dramatic events could have been anticipated and mitigated by appropriate measures, such as resilient urban planning, monitoring of waterways or raising awareness among populations about preventive measures.
In Mahagi, thousands of households have seen their daily lives disrupted by rising waters, causing the destruction of thousands of homes and the displacement of more than 30,000 people. In neighboring regions such as the Mokambo chiefdom, the extent of the damage is also visible, with 23 villages affected and more than 17,000 residents forced to flee their homes.
The territory of Djugu is not immune to this natural disaster, where the chiefdom of Bahema Banyagi is completely submerged, swallowing up essential public infrastructure. It is urgent that support measures be taken to help the affected populations and rebuild the destroyed infrastructure in order to restore a certain normality in these hard-hit communities.
Finally, the territory of Irumu is not left out, having recorded the displacement of 1,500 families settled in 15 fishing camps, generating tensions between farmers and fishermen forced to coexist in precarious conditions. This multifaceted humanitarian crisis requires an immediate and coordinated response from local, national and international authorities to ensure the safety, health and well-being of affected populations.
It is imperative that these tragic events do not remain a dead letter, but serve as a catalyst to strengthen our resilience to climate change and to rethink our relationship with our environment. The lessons learned from these disasters must guide our present and future actions, to prevent such tragedies and protect the most vulnerable among us.