“Voice of the Peasant” to educate and inform citizens: a commitment to social and climate justice.
Since the start of degassing operations in the Kabuno basin, located in Kalehe territory, the carbon dioxide (CO₂) being released is vented directly into the atmosphere without any clear capture or filtration system. Environmental activist Emmanuel Ndimwiza explains that this massive release of greenhouse gas could not only contribute to local climate disruption but also destabilize the lake’s chemical balance. The danger is made worse by the proximity of homes and farmland: residual gases that are poorly contained could suffocate living organisms or compromise the quality of air and water.
Local farmers and herders report already visible effects: less fertile soil, unpredictable rainfall, and declining crop yields around the basin. Emmanuel Ndimwiza shares testimonies from these communities, who link the degassing to a disruption in the natural rhythms of the lake, which were once stable. Fisherfolk are also observing strange behavior in certain fish species, a decline in aquatic wildlife, and growing concerns about whether their catch is safe to eat, suspecting the presence of dissolved toxins in the water.
From a health perspective, lakeside residents fear a rise in respiratory and skin diseases. Emmanuel Ndimwiza is calling for collective action to demand independent and accessible environmental analyses, along with transparent information from the authorities. If not properly controlled, the degassed CO₂ could turn the Kabuno basin into a silent bomb for humans and the ecosystems they share with Lake Kivu.
Emmanuel Ndimwiza proposes urgent and sustainable solutions: temporarily halting the degassing operations to assess their impact; installing CO₂ capture systems; involving independent researchers; and strengthening ecological monitoring with the participation of local communities. He also advocates for a moratorium on all industrial activity in the Kabuno basin until environmental transparency and public health protections are fully guaranteed.
The Editorial Team
Kabuno Under Pressure: Emmanuel Ndimwiza Sounds the Alarm on Degassed CO₂ and Its Threats to Life in Lake Kivu
