The Laudato Si’ Movement Chapter of the Democratic Republic of the Congo joined the world in celebrating World Water Day, which has been celebrated on 22 March every year since 1993, Focusing on the importance of freshwater, core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. The theme of World Water Day 2025 was “Glacier Preservation.”
Laudato Si’ Movement’s local leaders celebrated this day along with their communities. In Kinshasa, our chapter coordination team hosted an event at Mazenod University. A recording of the event, which was led by Fr. Robert Mungela, is available here. In Lubumbashi, our Laudato Si’ Circle, which is led by Sr Sylvie Nthumba in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Lubumbashi’ Diocesan Commission on Environment, hosted a conference at Pastoral Centre. Led by Mgr Tafungs, the event recording is available here.
In the two conferences, our chapter collaborated with CERN, REGIDESO (a public institution that provides water), the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, UNEP, and members of civil society including BRASIMBA, ASU Monde Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Youth and Women in Entrepreneurship, People with Disabilities, and more.
Many issues that surround water were discussed and the aim was to promote clean water for good health.
The debate tackled the War for Water in a country that possesses a large portion of Africa’s surface water reserves and internal renewable water resources, but faces challenges in water access due to poor infrastructure and access to safe drinking water and sanitation. As we address the issue of water in DRC, Pope Francis guides us in his Encyclical Laudato Si: “Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity. (30)
Lacking water is a human rights violation indeed, and the current lack of peace compounds the effects of climate change in DRC, making an even greater impact on water access. It is said that “water is life,” and as Laudato Si’ Movement, we are concerned by the serious problem of poor communities not accessing water, which causes many deaths every day. Water-related diseases, which are caused by microorganisms and chemical substances, are common among poor communities.
The conflicts and war devastating the Eastern part of DRC are causing death and poverty and driving the migration of refugees who search for even a drop of water. In camps for internally displaced persons and refugees, dysentery and cholera that are linked to inadequate hygiene and water supplies are rampant. This leads to significant suffering and infant mortality. As people whose scriptures call us to care for the most vulnerable, ensuring equal access to clean, safe water on a rapidly changing planet is a priority.
DRC has extensive water resources, but water in many places is threatened by the pollution produced in mining, extractive, and industrial activities. Lacking adequate regulation or controls, detergents and chemicals end up in DRC rivers, lakes, and seas.
Oil extraction in Virunga National Park of Goma and gas exploitation in Lake Kivu can lead to water scarcity and pollution in the eastern part of DRC, where the conflict is most intense and access to clean water is urgently needed. The DRC government’s plan to auction the 27 oil blocs and three gas blocs will more significantly affect the whole Congo Basin and water reserves.
Laudato Si’ Movement stands with all those who lack access to clean water, and we are motivated in particular by the agenda of the Catholic church in DRC, especially His Excellency the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lubumbashi Archdiocese, Fulgence Muteba, who is also the current president of the Episcopal Conference of Bishops, CENCO. For two years, he has given to his Archdiocese an annual year theme on the environment. In 2023-2024, the theme was “Mazingira sio bila sisi”, meaning the environment is not separated from us, and in 2024-2025, the theme was “Kweli Mazingira sio bila sisi, meaning truly mazingira sio bila sisi, an exaltation of the first theme.
Abp. Fulgence uses Laudato Si’ to give priority to creation, from Catholic Social Teaching to his preaching, and from his preaching to facilitating concrete action in the whole Archdiocese.
God is the creator and author of water along with the rest of creation. Expansion of oil and gas projects should stop in DRC so that people of God can breathe. Man cannot behave as a predator, because the environment is not its own property, there is a Master. Now more than ever, there is a need for mindset change and embrace the transition towards renewable energy in order to safeguard, food, peace and all biodiversity. Our people will not drink oil but water.