** Kinshasa under waters: During an announced disaster, an inevitable future? **
The evening of Saturday April 5, 2025 will remain engraved in the memory of the Kinois. A torrential rain, both sudden and devastating, flooded the streets of the Congolese capital, causing tragic human losses and considerable material damage. This climate phenomenon, although spectacular in its magnitude, raises a crucial question: why was this disaster predictable and what can we draw from it as a sustainable future?
### A predictable disaster
The floods in Kinshasa are not an isolated phenomenon, but the result of a combination of structural and environmental factors. History of several decades, chaotic urban development, combined with rampant urbanization, laid the foundations for this disaster. According to a World Bank study, 70% of the city’s infrastructure is obsolete, while anarchic constructions extend to the detriment of the natural absorption zones of the rains. For comparison, cities like Rotterdam or Tokyo have invested massively in drainage and rainwater management systems, allowing to mitigate the effects of floods. Why, then, does Kinshasa seem condemned to repeat these errors?
### An evolving assessment
The results, which reports 32 dead, including a family of six people crushed by a collapsed wall, recalls that behind each figure hide human lives, broken personal stories. The difficulty of accessing essential services, such as drinking water, exacerbates this situation, and, according to the storm of the tropics, the regides of Ndjili, already in normal times on a fracture line, is no longer able to operate. This raises questions about the resilience of essential infrastructure in the face of natural crises of this scale.
### The domino effect on daily life
The impact of floods goes beyond human losses and material degradations. As Congo New indicates, families are forced to cancel burials, adding a level of anxiety to mourning pain. In addition, the climatic emergency brings its share of complications: the interruption of road traffic on Boulevard Lumumba and the Kinshasa-Matadi route makes it even more difficult to transport vital goods and services. A comparison with the 2010 climate event in Haiti shows that preventive measures and infrastructure updates can mitigate such disruptive effects. Why not Kinshasa?
## Reactions and proposals
The reactions of political actors, such as the Lamuka coalition, highlight the apparent inaction of the authorities in the face of recurring events. The question of a contingency plan to deal with the floods is crucial. In this sense, the Minister of Town Planning, Crispin Mbadu, offers recommendations ranging from the demolition of anarchic constructions to the awareness of the population. If this approach is laudable, it must be accompanied by a concrete action plan, which would also imply the population in decision -making, a strategy that other developing countries have successfully adopted.
### a future to redefine
Deo Kasongo, former candidate for the post of governor, evokes this vital turning point: anticipating crises, acting proactively. How to make Kinshasa not a city victim of disasters, but a reinventing metropolis? The examples of cities like Medellín, Colombia, which have considerably improved their transport and infrastructure system in partnership with local communities, offer avenues to think about.
### Conclusion: Between hope and responsibility
The challenge of sustainable urbanization in Kinshasa is not just a question of infrastructure. It is also a moral obligation to prepare the city for climatic vagaries, in order to make it a space where each citizen feels safe. Recent floods should be seen not only as a tragedy, but as an awakening for collective awareness. Our way of living, governing and building must evolve, because, as info 27 recalls, it is cruel to note that Kinshasa continues to live his tragedy without preparing for tomorrow.
In the storm of current events, a question remains: Will Kinshasa can draw the necessary force to meet his challenges in an innovative and responsible manner? The future of its population depends on it.