Voix du Paysan for educating and informing citizens: a commitment to social and climate justice.
As Congolese authorities pave the way for gas block exploitation on Lake Kivu, local communities are raising growing concerns. Residents, fishers, and associations denounce an opaque project, imposed without genuine consultation, threatening their primary livelihood: artisanal fishing. For them, development must not come at the cost of ecological balance and community rights. Their message is clear: “We can’t eat or breathe gas — we want fish in Lake Kivu.”
A threatened ecosystem, a local economy in jeopardy
Lake Kivu is not just a gas reservoir — it is a source of sustenance, a natural heritage, and a cultural pillar for the region’s inhabitants. Industrial methane exploitation raises fears of ecosystem destabilisation, declining fish stocks, and even safety risks for the population. In the absence of transparent impact assessments and environmental guarantees, communities are calling for an immediate halt to operations.
A call for environmental justice and citizen participation
Residents demand to be heard in decisions that shape their future. They call for genuine dialogue, respect for their right to a healthy environment, and priority given to sustainable livelihoods such as fishing and ecotourism. Their mobilisation is part of a broader struggle for environmental justice, where local communities must have a say in the face of economic and extractive interests.
Editorial Team
Lake Kivu: When Communities Defend Their Lake Against Gas Exploitation and for the Survival of Artisanal Fishing
