Authors : Nsakala Tanda Reddy Andy; Mulopo Shinginyeka Fulgence; Katshunga Akazia Prisca; Ngumba Ngumba Victoire; Kazadi Mujinga Stella; Mabaya Arielle Arielle; Ishaku Kaunga Omega; Bondonga Mambomba Herve

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/mwnpvphc

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jun052

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : In Kinshasa, the limited performance of the public drinking water supply network has led many households to develop independent access to groundwater, particularly through private boreholes. This practice is increasingly observed in the Municipality of Lemba, where rapid urban growth, land parcel fragmentation, and insufficient control of drilling activities have encouraged a dense and poorly regulated distribution of water abstraction points. Such a situation raises important questions regarding groundwater sustainability, aquifer protection, and the environmental consequences of intensive groundwater use in urban areas. This study applies Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques to locate, map, and analyze the spatial distribution of 203 boreholes identified in selected neighborhoods of Lemba Municipality. The spatial analysis shows a high concentration of boreholes, with observed spacing commonly ranging between 10 and 20 meters, far below the recommended reference distance of 150 meters between abstraction points. This excessive concentration may increase the risk of aquifer interference, groundwater level decline, water quality degradation, anthropogenic contamination, and localized environmental instability. The results demonstrate the relevance of GIS as a decision-support tool for monitoring groundwater abstraction in rapidly urbanizing areas. They also underline the need for a more structured groundwater management approach based on updated spatial databases, technical regulation of borehole drilling, control of abstraction density, and public awareness. In this context, sustainable groundwater governance in Lemba requires the combined use of hydrogeological knowledge, geomatics tools, and institutional enforcement to ensure long-term water availability while limiting environmental degradation.

Keywords : Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Groundwater; Boreholes; Drinking Water Supply; Urban Groundwater Management; Overexploitation; Anthropogenic Pollution; Land Subsidence Risk; Kinshasa; Lemba Municipality.

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