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Based on his PhD research, Franck Mugisho Zahinda and his supervisors published the article "". 

This article assesses the cradle-to-site (A1-A4) global warming potential of construction in Bukavu and Goma, using 1 m2 of floor area as the functional unit. A mass-based reference flow (t) was used to calculate the supply and A1-A4 greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of individual construction materials. Life cycle assessment combined primary production and transport data with GIS-based route analysis. Material quantities and associated impacts were then calculated per m2 of floor area for four representative building typologies (brick, concrete block, hybrid, and wood) and scaled to 2025 building stocks of 145,170 buildings in Bukavu and 175,695 in Goma. Parameter uncertainty was propagated through Monte Carlo simulation. Cement had the highest median GHG intensity, at 835.30 kgCO2e/t in Bukavu and 837.40 kgCO2e/t in Goma, while transport dominated the quantified emissions of less-processed materials. Brick, concrete block, and hybrid typologies ranged from approximately 80-92 kgCO2e/m2, compared with 18.81 and 11.01 kgCO2e/m2 for wood construction in Bukavu and Goma, respectively. A business-as-usual (BAU) projection model showed substantial growth in construction-related emissions by 2050. Combining improved brick kiln efficiency, cement decarbonization, and partial timber substitution lowered projected emissions by approximately 13% in Bukavu and 19% in Goma relative to BAU. The study provides locally derived evidence on how material supply chains and construction choices shape the carbon footprint of urban growth.

Based on his PhD research, Divin-Luc Bikubanya published the article "(". 

The historical links between resources and local communities remain under-researched in the extant empirical debate on the extractive industries. This is particularly evident in the case of the exploitation of industrial minerals such as limestone (and sand), which are extensively used in the manufacture of an essential modern material, cement. This paper examines the ups and downs of the cement industry in Katana and Kabimba in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the mid-1950s. I use a comprehensive set of data collected over a total period of six months between 2024 and 2026. The data were sourced from archival records, complemented by 63 in-depth interviews and 5 focus groups comprising diverse stakeholders in Katana and Kabimba. In these areas, the growth (industrialisation), stagnation, decline (deindustrialisation) and revival (reindustrialisation) of factories have affected rural communities in different ways. Traces of the past affect not only construction practices (building with cement versus building with planks/mud) but also local institutional governance (local authorities versus investors). Concurrently, the collective memory of the workers appears to serve as a wellspring of hope, anchored in the illustrious industrial past of the 1980s. The inspiration provided by these intertwined historical dynamics is an important basis for present and future aspirations of community needs.

Joseph Bahati Mululu's PhD reached an important milestone with the completion of extensive fieldwork in South Kivu. The study combined 164 qualitative interviews and 440 survey questionnaires among workers, traders and employers involved in sand, stone and gravel value chains in Bukavu, Kabare and Idjwi. The decent work questionnaire was based on the developed by HIVA, KULeuven. Preliminary findings reveal that these sectors play a vital role in local livelihoods but are characterized by highly informal employment arrangements, limited social protection and significant occupational risks. Most workers rely on oral agreements, earn modest and uncertain incomes, and report exposure to hazardous working conditions, while access to healthcare, paid leave and safety equipment remains limited. Despite these challenges, workers draw heavily on social networks, associations and informal forms of solidarity to secure employment and cope with everyday vulnerabilities. The research also highlights the central role of labour in shaping the rapid urbanization of Bukavu. Workers in construction-material supply chains are predominantly young and support large households, with many depending on this sector as their principal source of income. The study documents strong variations between different occupations, as well as gendered divisions of labour that leave women concentrated in a limited number of lower-paid activities. While many workers expressed a desire to leave the sector if better opportunities became available, they also emphasized the importance of these jobs in sustaining their families. 

Joseph is working on a survey report and three articles to be fianlized in the course of 2027: one on “Lake Kivu’s floating labor market: mobility, labor control and agency in sand supply chains”, one on “Wage Differentials, Perceived Risks, and Working Conditions Within Informal Employment”, and one on “Decent Work, Well-being and Micropolitics in the construction materials supply chains”.

Deborah Muhanzi wrote her master dissertation titled "Compositions. Building and living in Bukavu city center". Her work was paritally supported by the VLIR TEAM

The cities of the Democratic Republic of Congo are experiencing significant demographic expansion, due to the rural exodus and a high rate of natural increase. The city of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province, is no exception. This growth is reflected in a proliferation of parcels of land, with no urban planning and resulting in plots of random size and shape. On these plots, high-rise residential buildings are being erected, but these new constructions are struggling to adapt to the technologies available on site and do not adequately meet the safety and comfort needs of residents. Based on an analysis of the morphology of Bukavu city center, its socio-economic and technical realities, as well as field surveys and a holistic approach, this research aims to propose, through a pilot project, more realistic construction and housing methods adapted to local materials and technological performance, while better meeting the needs of residents. This work is at the intersection of architecture and construction technologies and seeks to raise awareness of the major challenges facing the construction sector in Bukavu. It also aims to show that these challenges can be more than just obstacles; they can also represent opportunities for those involved in the construction sector and for citizens.

On 16 October 2024 team members came together in Antwerp and online to discuss ongoing work and synergies. Get inspired by collaborations between engineers, economists, biologists and architects!

FR

Cette série de working papers est le produit d’un projet de collaboration interuniversitaire, financé par le VLIR-UOS (Conseil Interuniversitaire Flamand) et exécuté par l’Université d’Anvers et la KULeuven en Belgique, et l’Université Catholique de Bukavu (UCB) avec le Centre d’Expertise en Gestion Minière (CEGEMI) en République Démocratique du Congo. Les papiers peuvent être consultés sur le site de l'IOB. 

Défauts de construction et erreurs d'aménagement des habitations en milieu urbain. Cas de Bukavu en République Démocratique du Congo

Franck Mugisho Zahinda, Liliane Nabintu Kabagale, Christian Byaombe, Francine Iragi Mukotanyi, Mac Cubaka Mugumaoderha et Dag BoutsenWorking paper 2024.06

Cette étude examine les défauts de construction et erreurs d’aménagement à Bukavu, révélant qu'ils sont principalement causés par le manque d'espace, la mauvaise qualité des matériaux, l'absence d'études géotechniques et l'utilisation de techniciens non qualifiés. Ces problèmes entraînent des conflits coûteux et chronophages entre propriétaires, locataires, entrepreneurs et autorités locales, nécessitant des mesures pour améliorer la qualité de vie des habitants.

Coût environnemental des matériaux dans la construction d’une ville africaine. Cas de Bukavu en République Démocratique du Congo

Bossissi Nkuba, Liliane Nabintu Kabagale, Serge Mukotanyi Mugisho, Bitagirwa Ndele, Gracia Kabilambali, Didier Mugisho et Franck Mugisho ZahindaWorking paper 2024.05

Cette étude analyse le coût écologique de l'extraction et de l'utilisation de matériaux de construction à Bukavu, révélant des impacts environnementaux significatifs tels que la déforestation et la pollution de l'eau. Malgré la faible consommation de matériaux en raison de la pauvreté, le non-respect des lois environnementales aggrave les risques pour la santé et l'écosystème. Les acteurs de la construction, bien conscients de ces effets néfastes, restent impuissants, soulignant la nécessité de politiques favorisant la réutilisation des matériaux pour une construction durable.

Chaîne de valeur des matériaux de construction. Rôle des acteurs et implications économiques à Bukavu en République Démocratique du Congo

Francine Iragi Mukotanyi, Philippe Dunia Kabunga, Naomi Mputu, Joseph Bahati Mukulu, Marie-Rose BashwiraWorking paper 2024.04

Cette étude explore la demande croissante de matériaux de construction due à l'urbanisation et à la croissance démographique, particulièrement en Afrique subsaharienne, et cartographie les acteurs de cette chaîne de valeur. Elle analyse la gouvernance, la réglementation, les risques et contraintes du secteur, et souligne ses avantages économiques pour les participants, contribuant ainsi à la réduction de la pauvreté.

Bukavu, une ville bâtie par ses habitants. Connaissances architecturales et bien-être dans l’art du bâtir spontané

Olivier Igugu, Elvis Amani Zihalirwa, Espoir Kanene, Jean-Claude Katanga et Dag BoutsenWorking paper 2024.03

Cette étude analyse les facteurs des constructions artisanales et spontanées à Bukavu, leurs conséquences, et propose des méthodes pour améliorer les conditions de vie des occupants. Elle met en lumière le rôle de divers acteurs dans le secteur de la construction et discute des implications pour l'urbanisme et l'architecture, en présentant des projets innovants pour relever les défis urbains et environnementaux.

Un monde en chantier. Le travail décent dans le secteur de construction et sa chaîne d’approvisionnement

Sara Geenen, Christelle Balegamire, Divin-Luc Bikubanya, Philippe Dunia Kabunga, Sarah Katz-Lavigne, Naomi Nabami, Bossissi NkubaWorking paper 2024.02

Cet article examine la littérature sur le travail dans le secteur de la construction et sa chaîne d'approvisionnement, en se concentrant sur les pays moins industrialisés, pour identifier les tendances et les lacunes existantes. Il servira de point de départ pour une étude future sur le secteur de la construction à Bukavu, RDC, en mettant en lumière la vulnérabilité des travailleurs due à leur statut informel, migratoire et éducatif.

La construction, l’industrialisation et l'urbanisation. Un parcours historique de la ville de Bukavu en République Démocratique du Congo

Divin-Luc Bikubanya, Sara Geenen, Bossissi Nkuba, Mac Mugumaoderha Cubaka et Dag BoutsenWorking paper 2024.01

Cette étude examine les modèles de construction et d’urbanisation en RDC avant, pendant et après la colonisation belge jusqu’à la fin des années 80, en mettant en lumière l'impact des politiques économiques coloniales et la dynamique de l'industrialisation sur l’urbanisation fragmentée de Bukavu. Il souligne l'importance de revitaliser les entreprises industrielles pour que les matériaux de construction contribuent véritablement au développement urbain.

EN

The first data collection phase took place in March-April 2023. It was set up as a collective research, with team members from different disciplinary backgrounds and with different thematic interests, joining forces in designing the methodology, drafting questionnaires, collecting data in and around Bukavu city, analyzing these data, and drafting seven working papers that will be available soon.

FR

La première phase de collecte de données a eu lieu en mars-avril 2023. Elle a été conçue comme une recherche collective, avec des membres de l'équipe venant de différents horizons disciplinaires et ayant des intérêts thématiques différents, qui ont uni leurs forces pour concevoir la méthodologie, rédiger des questionnaires, collecter des données dans la ville de Bukavu et ses environs, analyser ces données et rédiger sept papiers scientifiques, qui seront disponibles bientôt.