+243 850 954 822 info@jebkrdc.org

Why JEBK

Why an Ethnobotanical Garden in Kivu?

A plea for conservation, culture, and science in the DRC

The Kivu region, encompassing North Kivu and South Kivu, represents a unique ecological and cultural crossroads in Central Africa. However, amidst chronic instability, demographic pressure, and deforestation, this heritage is in danger. The creation of an ethnobotanical garden — a space dedicated to the relationship between plants and humans — answers several urgent imperatives.

Here are the six pillars justifying this project:

  • 1

    Safeguarding Biodiversity in Peril

    ● Living Conservatory : Many local plant species are disappearing due to charcoal production (makala), slash-and-burn agriculture, and mining. A garden would allow for the ex situ conservation of these threatened species (medicinal trees, ritual plants, rare essences).

    ● Seed Bank : It would serve as a genetic reservoir for future reforestation using indigenous essences rather than imported species (such as eucalyptus).

  • 2

    Valuing Traditional Pharmacopoeia

    ● Scientific Research : The garden would allow for the identification, cataloguing, and study of active ingredients in plants used by traditional healers (e.g., Prunus africana, Artemisia, etc.).

    ● Health Security : It would offer a framework to standardise dosages and distinguish beneficial plants from toxic ones, creating a bridge between modern medicine and ancestral knowledge.

  • 3

    Preserving Ancestral Knowledge (Intangible Heritage)

    ● Living Memory : The garden would document not only the scientific names of plants but also their vernacular names (in Kinande, Mashi, Kihunde, Kirega, Swahili...) and their cultural uses.

  • 4

    A Tool for Education and Environmental Awareness

    ● Open-Air Classroom : Schools and universities (such as UEA, UCB, or ULPGL) could organise practical work there.

    ● Awareness Raising : Concretely showing younger generations that the forest is not merely a resource to be exploited, but a complex ecosystem necessary for their survival.

  • 5

    Social Cohesion and Peace

    ● Neutral Space : A garden is a place of peace. Highlighting how different communities use the same plants can foster intercultural dialogue.

    ● Therapy : Gardens have proven therapeutic virtues for populations traumatised by decades of conflict (horticultural therapy).

  • 6

    Economic Potential and Ecotourism

    ● Sustainable Tourism : It attracts researchers and ecotourists interested in botany, generating local revenue.

    ● Commercial Nursery : The sale of certified medicinal plants, essential oils, or fruit seedlings can make the project financially autonomous.

In Conclusion

An ethnobotanical garden in Kivu is not a luxury; it is a vegetal and cultural Noah's Ark. It is a strategic investment for public health, climate resilience, and the identity pride of future Congolese generations.

Latest News

Nutritional Value and Phytochemical Screening

admin_jebkrdc – 5 février, 2026 / 13h20
Nutritional Value and Phytochemical Screening of Four Wild Edible Plants Used as Functional Foods in Kabare, South-Kivu (DRC). Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 2025, 15(8), 2503-2514.…
Read More

Trees and society in the Kivu Mountains

admin_jebkrdc – 5 février, 2026 / 12h43
Trees and society in the Kivu Mountains Read the Article
Read More