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This article was originally written for laprunelleverte.com
On the occasion of the first National Climate Week held from Monday, October 27 to Thursday, October 30, 2025, in Kinshasa, several environmental actors called for stronger engagement of stakeholders and local communities in the fight against climate change in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Contacted by La Prunelle RDC on Wednesday, October 29, environmental activist John Tsongo and Denise Kavira Kyalwahi, coordinator of the Local Youth Forum for Climate – CASSANDRA DRC, shared their insights and recommendations.
John Tsongo: “The success of climate action depends on everyone’s involvement”
For John Tsongo, the success of any climate action in the DRC depends above all on real and inclusive participation of all stakeholders — especially local and Indigenous communities, scientists, civil society, journalists, and activists.
“Such a meeting should bring together all voices — scientists, civil society, Indigenous peoples, environmental journalists. Together, they must draw up a roadmap so that the DRC can fully assert its weight on the global climate stage,” he stated.
According to him, communication is the first line of action: traditional, digital, and community media must be at the heart of environmental awareness.
“The media must first show the importance of our forests, then what they bring to us, and finally how to protect them for present and future generations,” the activist insisted.
He advocates for awareness campaigns built on concrete and positive messages, linking forest protection to the well-being of Congolese communities.
Lisez l’article en français ici: https://laprunelleverte.com/rdc-des-acteurs-du-climat-plaident-pour-une-implication-accrue-des-communautes-et-des-parties-prenantes/
The second priority, he said, is to strengthen connections between decision-makers and local communities. Indigenous peoples, the ancestral guardians of forests, must be placed at the center of environmental policies.
“We need to unite forces — ministries, activists, experts — to reach out to these communities, understand their needs, and show them that protecting forests directly benefits them,” Tsongo emphasized.
He urged the transformation of rhetoric into tangible actions: opening up remote forest areas, building schools and hospitals, developing green industries, and creating local jobs for Indigenous populations.
Although the DRC already earns significant revenue from the sale of carbon credits, Tsongo called for transparent and equitable management of these funds.
“The dividends from our forests should finance sustainable projects — roads, schools, universities, hydroelectric power plants — to rebuild trust between the State and communities,” he said.
For him, only an inclusive national climate policy led by all citizens will allow the DRC to position itself as a true “solution country” in the global fight against climate change.
Denise Kavira: “Let’s mobilize to protect our forests”
For her part, Denise Kavira Kyalwahi, coordinator of the Local Youth Forum for Climate – CASSANDRA DRC, issued a call for collective mobilization.
“The National Climate Week is open to all environmental advocates. It’s a time for dialogue to understand how to protect the DRC’s forests and find solutions to global environmental challenges,” she said.
She especially urged young people to get involved in the Green Corridor initiative — a concept she emphasized should extend far beyond Kinshasa.
“We need young people who are passionate about the environment to drive change,” Kavira stressed.
Women and Indigenous Peoples at the Heart of the Ecological Transition
Denise Kavira also reminded that women are among the first victims of climate change.
“They are the ones who walk long distances to fetch water or firewood, often exposing themselves to violence. They must understand that deforestation causes climatic problems that affect them directly,” she warned.
To ensure the sustainability of climate actions, she proposed the creation of a consultation structure to collect traditional knowledge and practices from local and Indigenous communities.
“Indigenous peoples have their own traditional ways of preserving forests, and local communities have theirs as well. Both approaches should be valued,” she advocated.
Toward Exemplary Environmental Governance?
The calls from John Tsongo and Denise Kavira serve as a reminder: the DRC should not only be the “green lung of the world” but also the heart of exemplary environmental governance.
By mobilizing the State, civil society, youth, women, media, and Indigenous peoples, the country could transform its vast forest heritage into a true lever for sustainable development and climate justice.
