Story Board of the Kingabawa Rice Intensification Project
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Farm Association leaders meet on project site
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Malebo Pool Congo River
6,000 HA of Lowlands in the
N'dijil River Basin
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N'dijil River
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Current Cropping system plant rice after water level
One 90 to 120 day crop
Pump house built by Chinese and World Food Organization in 1990 stopped by DRC civil war
engines of unknown capacity. Farm association ability to operate and maintain is not clear.
A Canal System had been designed. A Tunisia Engineering NGO had conducted a 2010-11 survey of the site. However the results were never made clear to the local NGO BANTA Engineer. A 200 percent blown up copy was made which should rolling relief of slight ridges and depression.
The association did not have the funds, equipment nor skill for a land leveling irrigation program.
Building levees across the slope was recommended.
Other complications included the river flooding and the wide range of soils to manage as this Vertisol. $2 million in U.S. had been granted two years prior for project. only thing to show for funds was the storeroom/meeting room. Dike failed, engines in pump house on hold, canals, and ditches no action nor functional plan. everything waiting for more funds. Project needed a complete plan before another $2 million could be invested.
This was enough of a concern once completed the Train the Trainer program with the Host did not just write news article or make college tours. Rather made the point to tour Washington, D.C. and present slides of program to USAID and USDA program mangers, and Senators' and Congressmen's staffs to highlight the need for good planning before more funding.
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The BANTA NGO does have a five member technical staff
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Low level levees could be build to 'fit' the landscape A simpler solution
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The flat topography and lack of references makes this a difficult project.
This point based on the Tunisian survey would be the main drain start point.
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Many of the 'garden farmers' are new to the township displaced from the civil unrest in the east.
This garden is the rice seedling bed that will be transplanted.
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The original river 'people' of the lowlands still fish the Congo. Here just above the falls.
The broken dike shown above may had been breached by fishermen wanting to access the flooded lowlands. Such conflicts in resource use will be common, and also difficult to forecast.
Self with the Kingabwa Farm Association leaders
A little Cultural side trip
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Camp TinTin above the Falls on the Congo River
- W. Mitty would Approve
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Mergo and Beinvenu
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Fishing on the Congo
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Dinner - la Poisson local prepared meal of fish with cassava
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