Explore historical and projected climate data, climate data by sector, impacts, key vulnerabilities and what adaptation measures are being taken. Explore the overview for a general context of how climate change is affecting Congo, Dem. Rep..
The DRC submitted its Nationally-Determined Contribution to the UNFCCC in 2016, which outlines the country''s environmental goals and its sustainable development agenda. It published its Third National Communication to the UNFCCC in 2015. With respect to anticipated climate change impacts, the DRC''s primary adaptation efforts are focused on the country''s most vulnerable sectors: water resources, agriculture, land use and forestry, sanitation, health, and energy.
KINSHASA, November 2023 - The first edition of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Country Climate and Development Report underscores the critical need for DRC to undertake structural transformation and economic diversification as essential strategies for poverty reduction and the advancement of inclusive, sustainable development.
This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) aims to support DRC''s efforts to achieve its development goals by quantifying the impacts of climate change on the economy and highlighting policies and interventions needed to strengthen the country''s climate resilience. The CCDR supports the strategic vision of the Government of DRC to reach middle-income country status by 2035, and by 2050, become a diversified inclusive economy spurred by sustainable growth.
DRC suffers from the combined effect of a large vulnerable population, a surge in the frequency of climate extremes, and low provision of services and infrastructure. With an estimated population of 95.3 million people and a poverty rate of 62.3% in 2022, DRC ranks 178 out of 182 on the 2020 Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index. Climate-related shocks, including floods, and droughts, are expected to rise in both frequency and intensity over time, with the poor bearing the brunt of the impacts.
Most poverty drivers in DRC are climate change sensitive. Three acutely sensitive socioeconomic factors drive poverty and social exclusion rates in the DRC: low access to water, electricity, and sanitation; the inadequate quality of housing; and poor transportation connectivity. Climate change could reverse DRC''s hard‑won gains in human capital, with a disproportionate impact on the poor, and especially on women and excluded populations.
Additional adaptation measures could, by 2050, reduce the impact of climate change on GDP and public investments by about 40% to 7.8% of GDP under the most pessimistic climate scenario. DRC would need to invest an additional 9% of its GDP to offset climate change impacts by 2050.
An ambitious development pathway coupled with adaptation strategies that build greater climate resilience will involve doing entirely different things as well as doing development initiatives differently. New investments need to be climate‑resilient and inclusive, and additional policies and investments will be needed.
The CCDR delineates four critical action areas for the DRC to confront its development challenges amid a changing climate. According to the adaptation actions modeled in the report, the initial public investments required to partially offset climate change risks are estimated at around $10.9 billion by 2050. The specific action areas are as follows:
The DRC is amongst the world''s most vulnerable countries to climate change, and is the fifth least ready country in the world to address its impacts [1]. In addition, for the first time, UNICEF ranked countries based on children''s exposure and vulnerability to climate and environmental shocks, with Congolese children being the world''s ninth most vulnerable [2].
Projected climate changes in the DRC include: a temperature increase of 1–2.5°C by 2050, an increase in the frequency of intense rainfall events and prolonged dry spells, and possible decreases in rainfall during the dry seasons (June-August, and September-November) in the southern region of the country by 2050 [1]. In the coastal area of the country, sea level is expected to rise by 60-70cm by 2080, exacerbating coastal erosion and water scarcity [3].
As DRC is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, adaptation should be a key concern and priority for the country. Increasing rainfall and droughts will hamper agricultural productivity as well as the hydropower industry, both of which are key to DRC''s economy. Heavy rainfall will cause floods, landslides and foster waterborne diseases, which will likely claim human lives [4].
The abundance of surface water resources makes hydropower a promising source of much-needed electricity for DRC – potentially increasing capacity to an estimated 100,000 MW (current installed capacity from all sources is 2,677 MW). However, the changing characteristics of annual and seasonal precipitation in the region will alter surface flows and may affect the stability of hydropower production in the country [5].
Although DRC''s contribution to global GHGs is small, the DRC''s emissions are increasing. Between 1990 and 2014, GHG emissions in DRC rose by 2% [6]. In 2014, DRC''s emissions came mostly from land-use change and forestry (LUCF), which made up 80.1% of total emissions. This was followed by agriculture (9.0%), where the burning of savanna contributed to 83% of agricultural emissions. Energy, waste and industrial processes contributed 5.5%, 5.4%, and 0.1% of total emissions, respectively [1].
The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), through the Directorate of Sustainable Development (DDD), is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the harmoniouscoherent implementation of the government in the area of climate change. A National Climate Change Committee, under the supervision of the Secretary General at Environment and Sustainable Development, provides the main orientations for the implementation of programs and projects related to climate change [7].
For several years, the DRC has worked on addressing its vulnerabilities to climate change. In 2006, the country developed a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) which listed a number of priority adaptation projects, some of which have now been implemented [4]. It identified safeguarding livelihoods of rural and urban communities, sustainable forest management and coastal erosion as top priorities. The Government of DRC, with support from the EU and other partners, also developed a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA).
The DRC submitted its INDC to the UNFCCC in 2015 [8], and its NDC in 2017. The country''s NDC sets an emission reduction target of 17% by 2030, compared to a Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario which is conditional to adequate financial and technical support (financial resources, technology transfer and capacity building) [8]. The "2016-2020 National Climate Change Policy, Strategy and Action Plan (PSPA-CC)" was developed to align with DRC''s vision of cutting emissions by 17% by the year 2030, focusing both on mitigation and adaptation priorities [4].
More recently, the National Strategic Plan for Development (PNSD) has been enacted as the country''s overarching development strategy, covering the period 2017-2050. It offers an opportunity to integrate the adaptation priorities identified in the NDC as well as climate-relevant SDGs, into the plans and budgets of each economic sector [4].
Given the vulnerability of the DRC to climate change, the effective implementation of climate adaptation and mitigation plans is paramount. However, in DRC, plans such as the PNSD, NAPAs and NAMAs have not yet been sufficiently integrated or addressed within each economic sector''s strategy.
Further, DRC has identified the gaps and barriers to developing a coherent adaptation program as, among others, a lack of reliable climate data; weak technical capacity and institutional and legal support; and lack of financial support for adaptation initiatives [7].
The country''s NDC recognises that monitoring and evaluation of adaptation policies and programs is crucial to ensure that resources are focused on measures that will give the best chance to increase the resilience of its people [7]. To monitor policies and programs, and to develop reliable and adequate climatic scenarios and vulnerability assessments, the DRC needs to enhance its facilities and systems for the collection and dissemination of climate data [3].
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