[ Analyse de la résistance des ménages dans la ville de Bukavu au Sud-Kivu/RD Congo à la délocalisation des sites impropres et/ou victimes des catastrophes naturelles ]
Jean-Pierre Cirimwami Kashangabuye1, Daniel Zihindula Kurhorhwa2, and Samuel Ntonga Katabe3
1 Social Organization Department, Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural de Bukavu, Bukavu, RD Congo
2 Enseignant à l’Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural de Bukavu, RD Congo
3 Chercheur indépendant, Licencié en Développement Rural à l’ISDR Bukavu, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The city of Bukavu is exposed to various types of natural disasters. The intensity, frequency, and damage caused by these disasters sometimes lead state authorities to relocate affected households. Despite the recurring natural disasters and the relocation measures implemented by the state, the population resists relocation and continues to build on these high-risk sites. This study, conducted using a quantitative approach, surveyed 171 people at 38 high-risk sites. The results were as follows: 98% of victims had not been consulted beforehand regarding relocation; 98% stated that the new relocation sites lacked adequate basic infrastructure; 79% of victims cited attachment to their place of residence and/or origin; and 75% cited fear of losing their cultural identity. The consequences of resistance include accidents related to damaged infrastructure, loss of livelihoods, potential land disputes and legal litigation due to illegal occupation of others’ land, increased risk of disease, and decreased local economic activity. There are also risks to the rights and legal security of residents. Solutions to reduce population resistance to relocation include guaranteeing employment opportunities, priority access to health and education services in the new location, providing adequate housing in the new location, financial compensation for losses incurred during relocation, and successfully raising public awareness of the risks involved.
Author Keywords: household resistance to relocation, unsuitable sites for construction, disaster-affected sites, consequences of resistance to relocation, resilience measures.
Jean-Pierre Cirimwami Kashangabuye1, Daniel Zihindula Kurhorhwa2, and Samuel Ntonga Katabe3
1 Social Organization Department, Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural de Bukavu, Bukavu, RD Congo
2 Enseignant à l’Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural de Bukavu, RD Congo
3 Chercheur indépendant, Licencié en Développement Rural à l’ISDR Bukavu, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
The city of Bukavu is exposed to various types of natural disasters. The intensity, frequency, and damage caused by these disasters sometimes lead state authorities to relocate affected households. Despite the recurring natural disasters and the relocation measures implemented by the state, the population resists relocation and continues to build on these high-risk sites. This study, conducted using a quantitative approach, surveyed 171 people at 38 high-risk sites. The results were as follows: 98% of victims had not been consulted beforehand regarding relocation; 98% stated that the new relocation sites lacked adequate basic infrastructure; 79% of victims cited attachment to their place of residence and/or origin; and 75% cited fear of losing their cultural identity. The consequences of resistance include accidents related to damaged infrastructure, loss of livelihoods, potential land disputes and legal litigation due to illegal occupation of others’ land, increased risk of disease, and decreased local economic activity. There are also risks to the rights and legal security of residents. Solutions to reduce population resistance to relocation include guaranteeing employment opportunities, priority access to health and education services in the new location, providing adequate housing in the new location, financial compensation for losses incurred during relocation, and successfully raising public awareness of the risks involved.
Author Keywords: household resistance to relocation, unsuitable sites for construction, disaster-affected sites, consequences of resistance to relocation, resilience measures.
Abstract: (french)
La ville de Bukavu est exposée à des catastrophes naturelles de différentes natures. L’intensité, la fréquence et les dégâts de ces catastrophes poussent par moment les autorités étatiques à décider de délocaliser les ménages victimes. En dépit des catastrophes naturelles récurrentes et les mesures de délocalisation prises par l’État, la population résiste à la délocalisation et continuent de construire sur ces sites à risques. Cette étude a été menée dans une approche quantitative auprès de 171 personnes sur 38 sites à haut risque. Elle a abouti aux résultats suivants: 98% des victimes n’avait pas été consulté au préalable pour la délocalisation; 98% ont affirmé que les nouveaux sites de relocalisation ne sont pas suffisamment équipés en termes d’infrastructures de base; l’attachement au lieu de résidence et/ou d’origine a été retenu par 79% des victimes. La crainte d’une perte d’identité culturelle a été retenue par 75% des victimes. Les retombées de la résistance sont les accidents liés aux infrastructures endommagées, une perte de moyens de subsistance, des possibles conflits fonciers et litiges juridiques en raison d’occupation illégale des terrains d’autrui; l’augmentation des risques de maladies, la diminution des activités économiques locales. Il y a des risques de mise en danger des droits et de la sécurité juridique des résidents. Les pistes de solutions pour réduire la résistance des populations à la délocalisation sont la garantie d’opportunités d’emplois, l’accès prioritaire aux services de santé et d’éducation dans le nouvel endroit, l’offre d’un logement adéquat dans le nouvel endroit, la compensation financière pour les pertes subies lors de la délocalisation et la sensibilisation réussie de la population aux risques encourus.
Author Keywords: résistance des ménages à la délocalisation, sites impropres à la construction, sites victimes des catastrophes, conséquences de la résistance à la délocalisation, mesures résilientes.
