Urban anthropization: community vulnerability and resilience to flood hazards in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

The effects of the 2020 floods in Uvira were exacerbated by urban anthropization and climate change. Floods are causing severe human, material, economic, and environmental losses as well as affecting socioeconomic and ecological systems beyond the affected community’s ability. The purpose of this study was to analyze land use changes in Uvira from 1995 to 2021 and to assess the vulnerability and effectiveness of the community’s resilience strategies in response to both the impact of flooding and the risk of future flooding. Data were collected from victims in the municipalities of Kanvinvira and Mulongwe in the city of Uvira, which were severely impacted by the 2020 floods. This study used a mixed approach that combined the spatial analysis of land use and land change with the anthropization of community perceptions of vulnerability and flood mitigation measures. Spatial analysis revealed that anthropogenic land use increased by 4.73% per year between 1995 and 2021. In comparison to the initial surface covered in 1995, this has increased the surface occupied by human activities by 127.7%. Gender, education, and pre-flood professional activity of the household head, combined with pre-flood house construction quality, property ownership, degree of house damage, and family member death, explained households’ resettlement capacity. The Mann–Whitney U test results revealed that households’ vulnerability and resilience to 2020 floods were influenced by their residence municipality (Kanvinvira and Mulongwe) and lifestyle (living at the host site or reintegrating into the community). During and after floods, disaster victims received assistance from the government and stakeholders (churches, civil society, and non-governmental organizations) to mitigate flood effects, but they were unable to restore the lives of hundreds of flood victims. The study’s findings suggest that provincial and local disaster management authorities, as well as stakeholders, should invest in preventive and sustainable flood risk management. Public awareness of flood prevention and mitigation should be increased through capacity-building training, preparedness, and sensitization. Finally, effective adaptation practices are required to reduce future potential damage.