Heavy rains have caused the Congo River to rise to its highest level since 1961, flooding several districts of Kinshasa. Experts say the disaster is the result of climate change, but residents also point to poor infrastructure and wastewater management.
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00:00 Not much remains of the Che Tintin bar.
00:03 A popular spot for the people of Kinshasa to relax on the banks of the Congo
00:07 has now been partly swallowed up by the rising waters.
00:11 The manager estimates $20,000 worth of damages.
00:15 We've had many losses.
00:19 We've lost customers.
00:22 The space is not as busy as it used to be.
00:25 Our counter was destroyed.
00:28 We lost the freezers.
00:30 Fortunately, we were careful and saved a few things.
00:34 Our walkways are broken and have been washed away.
00:37 We lost our kitchen with all the furniture.
00:40 In any case, it's not going well.
00:47 Several neighborhoods along the Congo River in Kinshasa
00:50 were submerged when it burst its banks.
00:53 The water reaches highest levels since 1961.
00:57 Locals are now finding new ways to get around.
01:00 Some are making money ferrying people across flooded streets.
01:08 As you can see, it's the river that flooded.
01:12 Every year the river overflows, but not to this extent.
01:16 At first we used to carry people on our backs.
01:20 Now we've made dugout canoes.
01:26 Experts say climate change is the main reason
01:29 for the heavy and consistent rainfall that caused the river to rise.
01:33 But residents here think bad waste management has made the problem worse.
01:38 You see the river? It's not a river.
01:43 It's the place where all the trash from the city of Kinshasa is thrown.
01:51 So it blocks the passage of water.
01:55 And when the river overflows, it comes back to us
02:02 because the river is not able to sustain that amount of water.
02:11 Kinshasa is not the only area the floods have hit.
02:15 Authorities say that flooding and mudslides are happening around the country,
02:18 and more than 300,000 homes have been affected.
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