Local temporalities, perceptions and community resilience to climate change in fishing villages along the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Abstract (English)

In the fishing camps and villages of Irebu, Malangé and Etongo, all located along the Congo River in the Province of Equateur in the DRC , climate change is manifesting itself in several ways. Recurring and devastating floods, the reduction and disappearance of certain fish, plant and animal resources, a significant drop in the water levels of the river and its tributaries, seasonal disruptions with significant implications for agricultural activity schedules, hunting, fishing, the collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), charcoal production, timber logging and the destruction of aquatic animal habitats (hippopotamuses and crocodiles) are considered to be the main indicators of the climate crisis.
Based on the "eco-ethnography" approach, which encouraged community participation through "citizen scientists" between 2024 and 2025 in these three rural communities, this article examines how these symptoms of the ecological crisis are perceived and interpreted. It then looks at how local actors are adapting to these unpredictable environmental changes by mobilising their own temporal frames of reference . It also analyses narratives on seasonal change and hydrological cycles and highlights various forms of community resilience.
This study highlights the temporal reference cases: temperature, moon position, frequency of rains, migratory birds (minyenyengi), abundance of certain species of fish (makoko and mbesi), cries of crocodiles and hippopotamuses, etc. provide information on the evolution of the weather. Their appreciation determines the nature of the seasons experienced and predicts the future. This temporal alert system plays an indispensable role because it influences certain decisions including the choice of crops resistant to drought or floods, the construction of houses at height, the abandonment of fishing camps, the choice of technique, equipment or fishing zone.