International Day of Action for Rivers : “Protecting rivers means regulating life” (Victorine Kilembe, Deputy Secretary General of CODED) 

On March 14th, the world celebrated the International Day of Action for Rivers 2026, under the theme : “Protect Rivers, Protect People.” This was an opportunity for the human community to highlight the importance of rivers for aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, as well as for the people who live there. Joining its voice to those of other civil society organizations, the Congolese Center for Sustainable Development Law (CODED), through its Deputy Secretary General, granted an exclusive interview to Versvert-infos to celebrate this day, established 29 years ago in 1997.

According to Victorine Kilembe, “Protecting rivers means protecting people. That is why we are dedicating this day to raising awareness« . 

River degradation has detrimental effects on our environment, in terms of flooding, landslides, and erosion, both in the city of Kinshasa and elsewhere throughout the DRC. These phenomena are largely due to the fact that rivers are not adequately protected. Hence the need to protect rivers, particularly through regular dredging.

« Throwing garbage into rivers invites pollution of all kinds, and yet rivers should serve to regulate life on Earth, to regulate aquatic life, and why not, the flora and fauna we have« , emphasized lawyer Victorine Kilembe.

« Everything is connected to the river, and protecting rivers means protecting life; protecting rivers means thinking about future generations« .

« Protecting rivers is above all about ensuring that the climate cycle is normal and that we avoid climate change as much as possible« , she added.

Alongside other civil society organizations like CORAP, CODED, with its partners such as International River, has chosen to raise awareness among the public and decision-makers about the need to protect forests and preserve them for present and future generations. Because if forests are protected, so are rivers, and the same is true for the people who live there, as water and forests are inseparable. 

Lawyer Victorine also emphasized that the much-desired development has not only brought benefits, but also negative impacts and harmful consequences. This is why she stressed that protecting rivers also protects the people who live there, who must be informed so they can participate in river protection efforts.

A special message to women

Both victims and, above all, agents of change, women possess the capacity to effect change. 

“First, we stand in solidarity with them and tell them that we are with them because we know that they are the ones paying the heaviest price in relation to everything we know about climate change. We ask these women to play the role of raising awareness”, says the Deputy Secretary General of CODED.

She urged everyone, and especially women, to avoid polluting rivers by throwing household and plastic waste into the waterways. 

“We ask women to be active participants, using their knowledge and skills to protect the rivers. And since they are generally responsible for managing households, we ask them to pass on good values ​​to children, young people, and even men to care for the rivers,” she advised. 

She also called on the government to take action to regularly dredge the rivers to protect the lives of the people who depend on them by ensuring access to quality river water.

“The water we use for cooking comes from the rivers. If this water is polluted, our lives are polluted, and many of the diseases we know, such as amoebiasis, diarrhea, and other waterborne illnesses, also stem from the fact that we consume unsafe water,” emphasized Lawyer Victorine Kilembe. 

By celebrating this day of action for rivers, CODED expresses its solidarity with all the communities affected by flooding and the harmful effects of large dams that destroy their ecosystems. 

“If we all work together to protect rivers, we will all benefit from the life that flows from them,” concluded Lawyer Victorine Kilembe.

Ruben Ns Mayoni