Bukavu: Green Month achievements: the Swiss Cooperation is pleased (Interview)

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Note: The content has been translated from French into English by Gemini Pro

More than six months after the activities known as the « Green Month » in the city of Bukavu, the results are mixed. While for some, the Swiss Cooperation and its partners have failed, for others, the initiative is a success. To understand the current state of affairs regarding these activities, the press group deboutrdc.info and mkulima.net met with the Swiss Cooperation at its office in Muhumba, on Lundula Avenue, in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, in the eastern DRC.

Journalist: Why did you initiate this Green Month?

André Daniel Müller, Deputy Head of Cooperation, Swiss Cooperation Office in DR Congo: The Green Month was an awareness-raising initiative aimed at informing all layers of the population about the effects of environmental pollution on human health. The goal was to encourage collective reflection on potential solutions that could be implemented by both public authorities and the population.

Journalist: Are you satisfied with the results obtained?

André Daniel Müller: Given the short duration of the initiative (one month), the expected results were achieved satisfactorily for all stakeholders.

Journalist: What were the main achievements of this campaign?

André Daniel Müller: Among the main achievements, we can notably highlight the sensitization of thousands of high school and university students, as well as the general public, to the links between pollution, responsible waste management, and public health, through sessions in schools.

Journalist: Why was it crucial to emphasize this health aspect?

André Daniel Müller: Because unresolved environmental problems have a severe impact not only on the residents’ quality of life but also on public health in Bukavu. A city without sanitation and without a waste management plan, where everything is dumped into the lake, exposes its citizens to serious health risks and the spread of diseases or epidemics.

Journalist: What other progress have you noticed on the ground?

André Daniel Müller: We observed strong community mobilization and ownership of the activities by state services, grassroots structures, the media, civil society, schools, the Provincial Youth Council, and religious denominations. Furthermore, we succeeded in planting trees along certain road axes in central Bukavu and creating ornamental plots on sites previously used as public dumps, notably at roundabouts.

Journalist: What was the involvement of the urban authority and sanitation organizations?

André Daniel Müller: We noted a genuine involvement from the mayor’s office and associations active in waste removal. This dynamic actually led to the creation of a platform for sector actors and the emergence of a new synergy among waste collectors.

Journalist: Did this synergy continue after the campaign ended?

André Daniel Müller: Unfortunately, a few months later, a decision by the municipal authority granting a single company the monopoly on waste collection across the entire city called this dynamic into question.

Journalist: Some researchers believe that planting trees in March, a hot month, was an inappropriate choice. Does the problem lie in the chosen period or rather in the lack of follow-up?

André Daniel Müller: The problem does not lie in the chosen period: the month of March corresponds to the rainy season and is not particularly hot according to Bukavu’s climatic conditions. The challenge indeed lies elsewhere.

Journalist: Since every human endeavor has its limits, what were those of the Green Month?

André Daniel Müller: The first limit was the duration of the follow-up. The monitoring plan developed was implemented until the end of April 2026. This period seems relatively short considering the reforestation activities carried out and the need to support the growth of the young plants over a longer period.

Journalist: Did you also notice a failure in protecting these trees afterward?

André Daniel Müller: Indeed, we can cite the laxity of certain grassroots leaders on the reforested sites. Despite the commitments made by local authorities, the protection of the trees against degradation and the regular watering of the seedlings were not always effectively ensured.

Journalist: If a new edition were to be organized, what main errors would you want to correct?

André Daniel Müller: Speaking of errors might not be the right word. The Green Month was a success in terms of raising awareness among broad segments of the population and authorities regarding Bukavu’s environmental challenges.

Journalist: Many actors thought it was a permanent program and were surprised by the sudden end of the activities. What do you say to them?

André Daniel Müller: The Green Month was primarily a one-off awareness and mobilization initiative, not a magic formula to solve all problems overnight. The main objective was to launch the debate, raise awareness, and encourage collective reflection. Now, the challenge is to capitalize on this dynamic: a coordinated follow-up between authorities, the academic community, and civil society is necessary to identify sustainable and realistic solutions.

Journalist: What message do you send to all these actors to ensure the sustainability of these achievements?

André Daniel Müller: To everyone, we recommend strengthening collaboration around common goals. Working in synergy improves the quality of interventions. It is also essential to tangibly integrate environmental protection and reforestation into urban and municipal development plans.

Journalist: A specific word for the media?

André Daniel Müller: Journalists must continue to inform and raise awareness about waste management. The difficulties observed in Bukavu are partly linked to a lack of information. Of course, this communication must be accompanied by concrete measures from the authorities to sustainably establish good practices.

Journalist: Will there be another edition of the Green Month?

André Daniel Müller: We are considering holding another month of this kind in the near future, but on a different theme than this one, which has already achieved its awareness goals.

Journalist: Some people say that the Swiss Cooperation allocated several million dollars to the Green Month activities. If it’s not a secret, what was the actual budget for this campaign?

André Daniel Müller: We mobilized 140,000 Swiss francs (approximately 177,000 US dollars) which we distributed among the five blocks that led the activities during that month.