Kolwezi: In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), about 1,500 students and 68 staff members at the Galaxy School in Kolwezi breathe in some of the most polluted air ever recorded in this region. Their school sits less than 500 meters away from a mining waste disposal site. According to Global Voices, almost 98 percent of the hourly fine-particle levels exceed World Health Organization safety thresholds. This figure alone confirms what the latest scientific studies conducted in the Lualaba mining area have revealed. The DRC is often hailed as a key player in the green energy transition, largely because the mineral resources within its borders are essential to producing batteries, solar panels, and other green tech. However, independent scientific studies on the scale of the contamination paint an alarming picture of the environmental cost in the Lualaba mining areas. Using independent methodologies in separate laboratories, studies conducted by Source International, Rights and Accountability in Develop ment (RAID), and AfreWatch, in collaboration with Professors Célestin Banza Lubaba Nkulu and Arthur Kaniki Tshamala from the University of Lubumbashi (UNILU), all reached similar conclusions. Research published in June 2026 found widespread air and water pollution, as well as contaminated sediments surrounding the major copper and cobalt mines. This has serious health consequences for residents, especially children. These studies support the complaints and allegations that communities impacted by mining companies in southeastern DRC have made for several years. The DRC produces competitive quantities of copper and accounts for three-quarters of global cobalt production, an essential mineral for electric vehicle battery manufacturing and many energy transition technologies. These studies were conducted near the Tenke Fungurume Mining (CMOC), COMMUS (Zijin Mining), and Mutanda Mining (Glencore) industrial sites. Meanwhile, the Initiative for Good Governance and Human Rights (IBGDH ASBL) questioned the DR Congo lese state's inability to protect people from the country's copper and cobalt mining giants, arguing that the human rights violations were committed with total impunity. In their report, researchers found that fine-particle concentrations (PM2.5 and PM10) routinely exceeded WHO guidelines. At some sites, these levels reached up to six times the acceptable threshold. Almost 98 percent of the study's hourly measurements exceeded the safety limits, indicating ongoing, rather than occasional, exposure to potentially toxic air. One of the most concerning examples involves the Galaxy School in Kolwezi, less than 500 meters from a mining waste disposal site. Here, researchers recorded some of the study's highest air pollution levels. About 1,500 students and 68 staff members attend this school every day. Studies show that these particles have a chemical footprint characteristic of industrial mining residue, ruling out road traffic, domestic combustion, and artisanal mining as primary sources. According to Nathan N kulu, a community leader and Musonoi district resident, the findings are alarming. He told Global Voices: "Due to our proximity to waste rock from the KCC and COMMUS mines, we are experiencing an extremely challenging situation. During the dry season in particular, toxic dust invades our homes, sometimes clouding the entire district." Beyond air quality, researchers have also highlighted concerning water resource contamination, detecting high concentrations of copper, cobalt, manganese, arsenic, lead, and even uranium in several rivers, lakes, and community wells. A community well in Kolwezi, just 200 meters from a tailings pond, was found to be 100 times more acidic than recommended levels, with manganese concentrations reaching up to 14 times the health limit. At such levels, manganese is toxic to the central nervous system. DRC is often hailed as a solution country to the energy transition. However, people living near mining companies often find themselves caught in the grips of industrial copper and cob alt mining, overwhelmed by the intensity of activity in Kolwezi and the surrounding areas. According to the IBGDH, vegetation is dying, making the pollution obvious to the naked eye. Gardens and crops are withering away, depriving families of their resources. The regions health professionals have reported an increase in persistent coughs, nosebleeds (epistaxis), eye irritation, and breathing difficulties. The reproductive health of women living near these mining sites has also raised serious concerns. Communities have reported cases of miscarriages, menstrual problems, and congenital disorders, which they attribute to the pollution. Meanwhile, to sustain the energy transition, global demand for copper and cobalt continues to rise. New scientific data have reignited the debate on mining operators' environmental and social responsibilities in the DRC. For now, the polluter-pays principle remains a commitment that communities impacted by copper and cobalt mining are still waiting to see enforced.
