Environmental Factors Affecting the DRC
Geography: KS3, topic 4.3.3
Environmental Factors Affecting Development in the DRC
The DRC's landlocked position, flooding, and dry seasons are challenges for the DRC.
Resource exploitation and geography
- The Congo has bad roads, little coastline and is covered in rainforest.
- This makes it very hard to logistically get anything in or out of the country.
- The Congo River is currently being used to generate power through a Hydroelectric Power plant.
Food production
- Flooding can destroy crops in the floodplains near the River Congo.
- In the south of the DRC, droughts are common in the dry season, making it hard to grow crops.
Flood damage
- The DRC has 52% of all the surface water in Africa. The River Congo is prone to flooding and this can destroy harvests (crops) and people's homes.
- Despite the common flooding, in 2018, 33 million people didn't have access to clean water in the DRC.
- There are often landslides after floods in the Congo.
Landlocked
- If a country is landlocked, then it doesn't have access to the sea.
- Most of world trade happens by sea in container ships. If a country cannot physically export its good because it is landlocked, then it is likely to develop more slowly.
- The DRC only has a 25 mile coastline.
Test yourself on Environmental Factors Affecting the DRC
What has massive potential for generating large amounts of hydroelectric power in the DRC?