Katanga is the southernmost province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It covers an area of 497,000 km2, which nearly equals the whole territory of Spain. On the Katanga plateau stock farming and agriculture are widespread. In the eastern and southern parts there are rich deposits of mineral resources such as cobalt, copper, iron, radium, uranium, and diamonds.
Despite the mining industry, the electrification rate of the Katanga is very low. Only one tenth of its 9 million inhabitants have access to electricity. Throughout the northwest of this large province there is no electricity network at all, except in the territory of Kapanga, thanks to our project ELKAP I.
The living conditions in Katanga are better than elsewhere in the D.R.C.; nevertheless, the socio-economic indicators (measuring poverty, education, health, environment, water supply, electricity, etc.) show that they are still rather dire.
Some facts:
- In Katanga, the poverty rate is slightly below the national average (71.3%), but still very high (69.1%).
- Half of the province’s population are children and young people under 20.
- The Katanga province has a low net primary education rate (54.5% in 2005) and a rather high child mortality rate (94% in 2007).
- More than 80% of Katanga’s households are neither connected to a power grid nor to a fresh water pipe.
- Medical service is insufficient: 75 hospitals serve the whole province, 8 beds are available for every 100,000 inhabitants and 1 doctor for every 26,396 people – almost three times less than the WHO standard of 1 doctor for every 10,000 inhabitants.
