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Democratic Republic of Congo Global Change Committee


In 1997, while a postdoctoral research fellow of the Science and Technology Agency (STA) at the National Agriculture Research Center in Tsukuba Science City (Japan), Dr. Nsalambi V. Nkongolo (Felly) initiated contacts with IGBP-IHDP and the scientific community at the University of Kinshasa, to form an IGBP-IHDP committee for the war ravaged Democratic Republic of Congo. In his vision, Dr. Nkongolo objectives were to help scientists in the Democratic Republic of Congo to get out of their scientific isolation and to stimulate national research and networking in the broad area of Environment and Global Environmental Change. Through sustained efforts and personal sacrifices, the IGBP-IHDP committee was formed and installed at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Kinshasa in 1999. Later, Dr. Nkongolo negotiated (on the behalf of the Democratic Republic of Congo) a waiver of its affiliation fee for 3 years with Mr. Will Stephen, former Executive Director of IGBP. In 2003, Prof. Phillipe Noki (The Chair of our committee) attended the 3rd IGBP Congres – Connectivity in Earth System, 19-24 June, Banff (Canada). In 2007, Dr. Nsalambi V. Nkongolo attended the Global Carbon Project and CARBOAFRICA Symposium, 23-25 August, Kruger National Park, South Africa, and recently (2008), Prof. Francois B. Kapuku was also funded by IGBP to attend the 4th IGBP Congress, 4-9th May, Cape Town (South Africa). Because of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the committee has not yet been able to function at full capacity, however Dr. Nkongolo has still managed to create subcommittees in Katanga province, headed by Prof. Joseph Yav Katshung at the University of Lubumbashi and in the Oriental province, headed by Prof Leopold Ndjele at the University of Kisangani. Recently, Dr. Nkongolo negotiated and was granted a fellowship by the British Royal Society to support the committee’s affiliation fee for 2008.




To learn more about the structure and activities of the Global change Committee in the Democratic Republic of Congo download a Power Point presentation.



Contact Persons:

Dr. Francois B. Kapuku (Vice-President)
Faculty of Science
University of Kinshasa
P.O. Box 190
Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of Congo
Phone: +243 89 89 20 507
e-mail: ,


Dr. Nsalambi Nkongolo (General Secretary)
Center of Excellence GIS Laboratory
Department of Agriculture
Lincoln University of Missouri
820 Chestnut Street, Room 307 Founders Hall
Jefferson City, Missouri 65102-0029, USA
Phone: +1 573 681 5397
Fax: +1 573 681 5154
E-mail: ,
Web:http://www.lincolnu.edu/pages/1956.asp
http://www.geocities.com/felly_nkongolo/N_p.html


Executive Members of IGBP-IHDP/Dem.Rep.Congo:

Prof. Phillipe Noki Vesituluta (President, IGBP-IHDP/DR-Congo, National)
Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa
P.O. Box 190
Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of Congo
Phone: (+243) 89-89-20-507
email:

Prof. Francois B. Kapuku (Vice-President, IGBP-IHDP/DR-Congo, National)
Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa
P.O. Box 190
Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of Congo
Phone: (+243) 89-89-20-507
email: ,

Prof. Nsalambi V. Nkongolo (General Secretary, IGBP-IHDP/DR-Congo, National)
Centre of Excellence GIS Lab.
Department of Agriculture, Lincoln University of Missouri
820 Chestnut Street, 307 FH
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0029, USA
Phone: +1 (573) 681-5397, Fax +1(573) 681-5397
email: ,

Prof. Yav Katshung Joseph (Chair, IGBP-IHDP/DR-Congo, Katanga province) Chaire
UNESCO des Droits de l'Homme, Université de Lubumbashi
4 ème Niveau du Building UNILU, Route Kasapa
P.O.Box: 1825
Lubumbashi, Katanga, République Démocratique du Congo
Phone:+243997021758, fax:+15016384935
email: ,
Prof. Leopold Ndjele (Chair, IGBP-IHDP/DR-Congo, Oriental province)
Faculty of Science, University of Kisangani
Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo

Mr. Heraclite Bikumbu (Secretary, IGBP-IHDP/DR-Congo, Oriental province)
RARE Pride Campaign Manager, Conservation Education Project,
WCS Salonga National Park, B.P. 240
Kinshasa 1, Democratic Republic of Congo
Phone: (+243)810888590, fax (+1) 603-8497663,
E-mail: ,

Dr. Kandala Ngianga-Bakwin
Principal Research Fellow in Medical Statistics
University of Warwick
Clinical Sciences Research Institute
Warwick Medical School
CSB, UHCW Campus
Clifford Bridge Road
Coventry CV2 2DX (UK)
Tel: +44 (0)24 7696 8669
Fax: +44 (0)24 76968653
Email:
Website: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/research/csri/staff/staffac/kn-b/

Dr. Stephan L. Tubene
Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
1102 Trigg Hall
Princess Anne, MD 21853
USA
Tel. 410-651-7577
Fax: 410-651-7931
E-mail:


Other Interested Members:

Philip Shamamba, Performance & Knowledge Management , Analyst Consultant
EC HARRIS: European Operations Centre (EOC)
The Pavilion, Sunrise, Parkway, Linford Wood
Milton Keynes, MK14 6LS, United Kingdom
Phone: +44(0)1908331070, Fax: +44(0)1908397399
email:






















Key HDGEC research topics in the D. R. of the Congo:



  • Forest ecosystems:
    Deforestation/Clearing and reforestation; Search for medicinal substances contained in plants; Inventory and cultivation of medicinal plants; Forest ecology




  • National or regional development:
    Geotechnology and soil destruction; Urban development; Urban waste management/choice of storing sites; Urban ecology
    Environment and sustainable development; Human dimensions of sustainable development





  • Geological natural disasters:
    Volcanism; Landslide (including erosion)




  • Solid waste management:
    Transformation of waste into products with added value (nitrogen fertilizers, active carbon, biomethanization, etc.)




  • Continental and Marine aquatic ecosystems:
    Quality of liquid waste and industrial waste; Possible ways of treating polluted water; Pollution of surface and ground water (rivers, lakes, wells, underground water deposits, coast, sea); Identification and lifting of subterranean water; Ecology of aquatic systems




  • Air quality and pollution:
    Greenhouse gasses, atmospheric aerosols, acid rains, evaluation of their effects on infrastructure; Deforestation/Clearing and emptying of rivers




Research Initiatives:

Project title: Spatial Distribution of Soil Properties and Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Investigators: Prof. Dr. Nsalambi Nkongolo (PI), Mr. Corneille Ewango (Collaborator)
Funding agency: Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI)
Amount: $ 12,000.00
Status: Granted, work delayed for security reasons in the Ituri region of DR-Congo


Project title: Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Fluxes and Soil Properties in the Luki Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo
Investigators: Prof. Dr. Francois B. Kapuku (PI), Prof. Dr. Ing. Nsalambi Nkongolo (IC)
Funding agency: START-PACOM
Amount: $ 14,700.00
Status: Project submitted (pending)


Project title: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and child survival in the Democratic Republic of Congo: what can we learn from household surveys?
Investigtors: Kandala N-B (PI), Prof Cappuccio (CSRI) and Prof. Kikhela (University of Kinshasa). Funding agancy: Funded jointly by the British Council (Development Partnership in Higher Education: DelPHE) and the Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick
Amount: £ 54,000 over three years (from 2008-2011).


Recent Products:

Kandala N-B, Jacques B.O. Emina, Nzita D K& FP Cappuccio (2009). Diarrhoea, acute respiratory infection, and fever among children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Social Science and Medicine, 68(9):1728-1736.

Nkongolo, N.V., P.N. Noki and F.B. Kapuku (2007). Potential for Carbon Sequestration in the Democratic Republic of Congo Forests. Presented at: Carbon-Climate-Human Interactions in Africa, The Global Carbon Project Symposium, Kruger National Park, Skukuza, South Africa, 23-25 August.

News:

Dr. Nsalambi V. Nkongolo, General Secretary of the Democratic Republic of Congo' s committee is one of the six recipients of the "2009-2010- Charles Bullard Fellowship in Forest Research" at Harvard Forest, Harvard University. During his tenure (which began July 1, 2009) at Harvard University, Dr. Nkongolo will study soil carbon and above-ground vegetation biomass at both Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts (USA) and Ituri Forest in Epulu (Democratic Republic of Congo).



















During CARBOAFRICA first annual meeting in South Africa, Dr. Nsalambi V. Nkongolo discussed about the possibility for collaborative work in the Ituri forest and other parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The possibility for CARBOAFRICA to extend its network of CO2 monitoring sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Ituri Forest, Equator) was also investigated.

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