2024-08-20 05:00:00
Lthe development of Kinshasa is increasing. On the banks of the Congo River, the entire walk is now hidden behind sheet metal. “Construction permission is granted”, can read passers-by forced to be satisfied with two tens of walking meters. In the highest area of the capital, Gombe, luxury houses and villages have not stopped since 2000 even since these investments benefit the economy of the Congolese capital.
In any case, this is what the Milvest company is saying, which launched the capital’s new financial center in December 2023. Eleven buildings which give Kinshasa residents new opportunities to live (food restaurants, conference rooms, parking lots) and offices. The Turkish company is also involved in the reconstruction of the new airport, the renovation of the Kinshasa International Fair, the construction of a 20,000 seat service hall and a sea bus that should eliminate the decline in the capital in the space of two years. On each of the projects estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars, Milvest prides itself on employing local workers. The investor also promised the creation of hundreds of jobs and new income for the Democratic Republic of Congo, mainly thanks to the Marriott hotel, under construction near the river, from which the State should recover part of the income.
The power that attracts investors
Although it is on the verge of exploding due to its high density, the Congolese capital managed to attract foreign investment because the market is not equipped with many products and the potential profit is very high. “The Americans are building a new attack factory, the French also built theirs not long ago, Milvest, the former company of Turkish President Recep Erdogan, is investing heavily in Kinshasa’s infrastructure,” lists Jean -Luc Mouzon, head of a design office. Driving his car through the rich Gombe area, the Belgian engineer, who has lived here for 25 years, is also amazed by the new construction sites that are starting everywhere. “It’s a sign that the country is loved, isn’t it? » he asked.
But this wave of interest in the Democratic Republic of Congo brings harmful effects: deforestation, deforestation, urbanization… “It’s like a snake biting its tail,” explains Jean-Luc Mouzon. People destroy an area to build, but what they destroy is exactly what can solve their problems. »
According to several World Bank reports, without concrete action on the part of the State to protect itself from the effects of climate change, all these investments may become obsolete within a few years. “Climate change has had many impacts on national and international businesses in Kinshasa,” said Christian Vang Eghoff, an urban development specialist at the World Bank, overseeing the Kin Elenda project in Kinshasa. The frequency and intensity of rainfall affects the electricity distribution network, distribution stations are often affected by flooding and erosion. » These power cuts are among the biggest obstacles to economic activities, but there is also a lack of control of plastic pollution and urban pollution, which creates flooding and road traffic. In a city of almost 10,000 square kilometers, this can have a negative impact on business. Christian Vang Eghoff said: “In the past, the rains caused the Matadi road to be cut off, and they used to enter the Matadi port for many days, when the road was rebuilt.
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Stop or repeat?
Kinshasa, the capital of one of the poorest countries in the world, then must succeed in combining development and environmental protection, otherwise climate phenomena will suffer the productivity of businesses and industries. In a report published in 2023, the Bretton Woods Institute indicated that based on “various development scenarios, the lack of adaptation to climate change could lead to a reduction in GDP of up to 13% through to 2050”. The population may become poorer too. Two choices are then offered to the city: put the kibosh on it or strengthen companies and investments in favor of environmental protection. For now, the initiatives taken by the government to try to make Kinshasa more resilient to climate change are struggling to change the situation.
Find the first event of our long journey in Kinshasa
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