Future and Improvements

Likely future prospects for the ecosystem:

Image source: The Great Chess Board

Satellite photo of Africa or the "Dark Continent" at night.

Image Source: The Great Chess Board

Picture of what the proposed Grand Inga Dam could look like.

Although people's impact on the Congo River is currently not very significant, the potential for human disruption is great because of the Congo River's natural resources and potential to produce tremendous amounts of hydroelectric power.  Already, there have been propositions to build a new dam, called the Grand Inga, which would produce enough energy to power most of Southern and Central Africa and possibly North Africa and southern Europe in addition (Keener).  While this renewable energy could potentially revolutionize Africa, if would come at a high financial and ecological cost.  The new dam would require the river to be entirely diverted down a nearby valley and would essentially divide the River ecosystem into two very parts.  This could interfere with fish migration and would lead to an overall decrease in biodiversity.  Other consequences of the dam include flooding and stagnant water which would increase the number of certain insect pest (UNEP).  Any future government regulation of policies regarding poaching, logging, and mining operations are unlikely to be enforced due to the great political conflict and the isolation of areas along the river.  It is likely that many of these practices will continue and worsen as the areas surrounding the river become more populated.

What can be done:
More data should be collected in regards to the costs and benefits of building of the Grand Inga Dam.  It is important to carefully determine if the benefits from the hydroelectricity production would offset the disruption that the project would bring to the environment.  It would also be wise for Africa to explore other possible forms of clean energy that could be less harmful to the environment than the proposed Grand Inga.  For example, the use of solar power and other energy sources have been discussed by the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), a program of the African Union dedicated to improving politics and the economy in Africa (Madamombe).  After all, embarking on such a huge and extensive project, such as the Grand Inga, is no small commitment.  A proposed 80 billion dollars, to be exact (Grand Inga Dam, DR Congo).  Also, the government should also attempt to increase its regulation of harmful practices such as logging, poaching, and mining.  While regulation of these practices would be difficult to enforce, attempting to manage the problems is far better than ignoring them all together.  The governments of the countries of which the Congo passes should have a meeting in which they set up a committee with representatives from each of the countries.  This committee would be responsible for setting up regulations and laws that pertain to things like logging, poaching, and mining.  After all, what one country does with its portion of the Congo River affects the ecosystem as a whole.