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ActionAid DRC

Start Ready-Funded Flood Preparedness Project Kicks Off in Kinshasa by ActionAid DRC

Participants at launch of project

Local Actors in Limete and Ngaliema Validate Community Action Plan to Anticipate and Manage Recurrent Flood Risks.

ActionAid International DRC has successfully launched its Operational Flood Risk Preparedness Project, an urgent initiative backed by Start Ready to combat the devastating effects of climate change and recurrent flooding in the capital. The project's official kick-off involved five days of intensive, participatory community workshops across the vulnerable communes of Limete and Ngaliema, successfully mobilizing 129 local leaders and residents to validate the action plan and strengthen community-led strategies for anticipating and managing future flood risks.

Launch of Start Ready in Kinshasa
Madam Rosette Mokabi, project coordinator at ActionAid, take participants through the need to avoid water contamination and maintain clean water bodies
ActionAid DRC

The city of Kinshasa, projected to house nearly 18 million inhabitants in 2025, is struggling with simultaneous crises, primarily driven by rapid, chaotic urbanization and the increasing severity of climate change effects.

Flooding is now a major and devastating recurrent problem. Heavy rains routinely submerge vast parts of the city, largely due to unregulated construction on hillsides, a lack of urban infrastructure, and severe plastic pollution that obstructs vital waterways like the Gombe, Bitshaku-Tshaku, Kalamu, and Ndjili rivers.

As one of Africa's fastest-growing metropolises, Kinshasa has witnessed multiple devastating floods in recent years, causing loss of life and significant material damage, particularly in the highly vulnerable communes of Limete and Ngaliema. ActionAid, in partnership with CBS, PADECO, and AFPDE, initiated this project to confront these challenges head-on and strengthen local community resilience.

 

Project Kick-off: Mobilizing Local Actors

Between November 14 and 18, 2025, the project launch involved organizing three intensive community workshops in the targeted neighborhoods: Ndanu and Salongo (Limete commune), and Kinsuka (Ngaliema commune).

The launch workshops were designed to be highly participatory, with the key objectives of:

  • Presenting the project’s intervention strategy to local stakeholders.
  • Identifying specific action zones and defining priority activities collaboratively.
  • Securing the involvement and commitment of the communities.
  • Identifying the households most vulnerable to flood risks for targeted support.

In total, 129 participants—including 58 women and 71 men—attended, ensuring that civil society representatives, community and religious leaders, women’s and youth associations, local CBCM structures, and key local authorities (neighborhood and street chiefs, ANR, police, health zone officials) were fully engaged in the process.

 

Key Results and Community Validation

The launch activities yielded significant initial results, establishing a strong foundation for the project's implementation:

  • The project’s action plan was successfully presented, discussed, and received full community validation.
  • Local actors were thoroughly sensitized on their essential, proactive role in flood risk prevention efforts.
  • Community commitment was significantly strengthened, paving the way for effective and participatory implementation of all project activities.

 

Voice from the Frontlines

The urgency of the project was deeply underscored by the participants.

"We have been flooded several times. The water comes from far away and reaches us here, and we don't know how to manage this situation. But when we see you arriving, we feel reassured and comforted, because we know you are going to help us and prepare us against the damage. Recently, we lost a lot. I myself lost a great deal, and we experienced loss of human lives as well as material goods. I would also like to emphasize that the government must become more involved in this management, because we truly need support."

— Mama Kafupi Guilaine of Salongo Ndanu neighborhood

 

Building Resilience for the Future

Looking forward, the Operational Flood Risk Preparedness Project is committed to:

  • Reducing the immediate impact of floods on recently affected vulnerable households and actively preventing future risks.
  • Strengthening the overall urban resilience of communities against daily climate hazards.
  • Providing comprehensive awareness, training, and support so populations can effectively anticipate, prevent, and manage flood risks and other natural disasters.

 

Partnership Driving Action

ActionAid International DRC and its partners CBS, PADECO, and AFPDE are demonstrating a robust commitment to fostering better-prepared communities. These vital activities were made possible through the crucial financial support of Start Ready and the leadership and coordination provided by the DRC HUB. We thank all our partners for their dedication alongside the affected populations.

As we say: Prevention saves more than relief!

ActionAid International RDC – Kinshasa Office Contact:

Vereniging ActionAid International RSIN number: 813342211 Registration number: 27264198
ActionAid DRC