Selembao

Selembao
Commune
Commune de Selembao
Students in a classroom in Selembao
Students in a classroom in Selembao
Map
Map
Map
Selembao on map of Kinshasa city-province
Kinshasa city-province on map of DR Congo
Kinshasa city-province on map of DR Congo
Coordinates: 4°22′15″S 15°17′12″E / 4.37083°S 15.28667°E / -4.37083; 15.28667[1]
Country DR Congo
City-ProvinceKinshasa
Area
 • Total
232 km2 (90 sq mi)
Population
 (2015 est.)
 • Total
1,038,819
 • Density4,500/km2 (12,000/sq mi)

Selembao is a commune in the Funa District of Kinshasa.[2] Covering over 12 square kilometers and with an estimated population of 1,038,819 as of 2015,[3] it is bordered to the north by Bandalungwa and Bumbu, to the northeast by Bumbu, to the south by Mont Ngafula, to the east by Makala, and the west by Ngaliema.[4]: 102 

Administratively divided into 18 neighborhoods,[4]: 103–105  Selembao's urban development is largely unplanned, with most areas lacking basic infrastructure such as transportation networks, electricity, water systems, and adequate drainage.[5] While some southern neighborhoods, like Cité Verte, benefit from structured roadways and functional sewer networks, the majority of the commune remains poorly underdeveloped.[5] The degradation of key infrastructure and the formation of ravines have led to significant challenges, including the silting of rivers, damage to homes, and loss of lives, with approximately 150 fatalities reported between 1970 and 2010 due to these issues.[5] Intensive urban agriculture, small-scale livestock breeding, and small commerce are Selembao's most significant revenue-generating and economic sectors.[6]

Selembao has undergone substantial demographic expansion, with an average annual growth rate of 5% between 1984 and 2004, exerting immense pressure on housing availability.[5] Consequently, urbanization has encroached into steep valleys and other marginal lands, filling previously undeveloped spaces.[5]

  1. ^ "Selembao, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo". Google Maps. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  2. ^ "Géographie de Kinshasa (Geography of Kinshasa)" (in French). Ville de Kinshasa (City of Kinshasa). Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  3. ^ Kinyamba, S. Shomba; Nsenda, F. Mukoka; Nonga, D. Olela; Kaminar, T.M.; Mbalanda, W. (2015). "Monographie de la ville de Kinshasa" (PDF) (in French). Ottawa, Canada: IDRC.CRDI. p. 40. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b Katalayi Mutombo, Hilaire (October 2014). Urbanisation et fabrique urbaine à Kinshasa: défis et opportunités d’aménagement [Urbanization and urban fabric in Kinshasa: Challenges and Opportunities of Development] (PhD thesis Geography) (in French). Bordeaux Montaigne University. pp. 100-149. Retrieved 21 November 2024 – via HAL Theses.
  5. ^ a b c d e Matthieu, Kayembe wa Kayembe; Alain, Ngoy Ndombe; Fils, Makanzu Imwangana; Martin, Mpinda T.; Eric, Misilu Mia Nsokimieno; Wolff, Eléonore (6 June 2016). "Contribution of Remote Sensing in the Estimation of the Populations Living in Areas with Risk of Gully Erosion in Kinshasa (D.R. Congo). Case of Selembao Township". Current Research in Geoscience. 6 (1): 72. doi:10.3844/ajgsp.2016.71.79. ISSN 1948-9854.
  6. ^ Biduaya, Florent Mukeba; Mpiana, Pius Tshimankinda; Kapembo, Michel; Mulaji, Crispin K.; Pote, John (19 November 2022). "Approvisionnement et évaluation de la qualité des eaux souterraines de Selembao et Kimbanseke" [Supply and assessment of groundwater quality in Selembao and Kimbanseke] (PDF). Recosh.cresh-rdc.org (in French). Revue Congolaise des Sciences Humaines et Sociales (RECOSH). p. 3. Retrieved 21 November 2024.