Authors : Pierre Olela Ngongo; Maxime Mambongo Zunguzungu; Athigo Lofimbo Bakundji

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 3 - March

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5n7u6byb

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/2cfn8ymy

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26mar473

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

Abstract : The city of Kinshasa experiences recurrent flooding due to uncontrolled urbanization, inadequate drainage infrastructure, and poor stormwater management. Communities living along the Ndjili River, particularly in the Abattoir neighborhood of Masina municipality, frequently suffer material losses and health risks. This study evaluates the effectiveness of public policies for flood management in this vulnerable area. It is based on the hypothesis that the observed ineffectiveness results from insufficient state intervention, poor planning, and lack of follow-up actions.A mixed-method approach was used with 50 residents selected through convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests (Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, and Spearman/Kendall correlations). Results show that 100% of respondents have experienced flooding, with 76% affected several times per year. Property loss affects all households, while displacement (64%) and disease (58%) are common. No official flood control program is recognized by residents, and 80% reported observing no government action; 84% consider public policies ineffective. The main obstacles identified are lack of follow-up (84%) and poor planning (66%). Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the small, non-probabilistic sample. Despite these limitations, the study reveals chronic vulnerability and highlights the need for integrated and participatory urban governance.

Keywords : Floods, Public Policies, Kinshasa, Urban Governance, Resilience

References :

1. FUMUNZANA MUKETA, (2008), “Kinshasa, one neighborhood to another”, Kinshasa, Harmattan Publishing
2. KASSAY NGUR-IKONE, J., (2009), “The public policy of the management of green spaces by the Kinshasa city hall”, Kinshasa.
3. LELO NZUZI, (2008), “Kinshasa: city and environment”, Harmattan Edition, Kinshasa.
4. KYALWAHI, D., BOLA, G. (2024). Fighting the River's Fury: Kinshasa's Struggle Against Floods. Geodata Journalism from the Nile Basin. Available athttps://infonile.org/fr/2024/09/combattre-la-colere-du-fleuve-la-lutte-de-kinshasa-contre-les-inondations/
5. KilaloPress (2025). "Kinshasa: The Ndjili River flood crisis and its devastating impacts. Kinshasa. Available onhttps://kilalopress.net/actualités/kinshasa-la-crise-des-inondations-de-la-riviere-ndjili-et-ses-impacts-devasteurs/
6. Brown, R. et al (2025). Water-sensitive urban design and flood risk management: A systematic literature review. Land, 14(2), 224.https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020224
7. Garcia, M., et al. (2025). Governance challenges in implementing nature-based solutions for flood risk management in developing cities. Journal of Flood Risk Management, 18(1), e12945.https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.12945
8. Khan, M. et al (2025). Flood damage assessment in data-scarce regions: A systematic review. Water Resources Management, 39, 1123–1142.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-025-04265-9
9. Li, X., Chen, Y., & Wang, H. (2024). Integrating remote sensing and GIS for flood risk assessment in data-limited environments. Natural Hazards, 121, 567–589.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-024-05987-3
10. Muller, A., et al. (2025). Urban resilience to floods within the disaster risk management cycle. Journal of Hydrology, 629, 130215.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.130215
11. Smith, J., et al (2024). Rethinking structural flood protection under climate change. Environment Systems and Decisions, 44(3), 345–358.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-024-09912-4
12. Zhang, Y., Liu, D., & Sun, Q. (2025). Flood risk assessment frameworks and hierarchical structuring of risk components. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 92, 103705.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.103705