Throughout the world, the forest remains the most stressed ecosystem for various human needs. The humid tropical forests found in the Third World are in constant decline due to clearing for cultivation, bush fires and the overexploitation of firewood and charcoal. «In the year 2000, the forest area covered about 3.9 billion hectares, or roughly 30% of the Earth’s land surface, but every year the global forest cover is shrinking» (Lester, 2001). As far as DR Congo is concerned, «wood energy covers 82% of total energy needs and 99% of housing sector needs» (Zins and Kambale, 1989; Gerkens, 1989). Furthermore, «the urban consumption (Kinshasa) of wood as a source of energy led to the disappearance of nearly 16,000 hectares of forest in 1980 and 80,000 hectares in 1985 for the other cities of the country» (Vangu, 1988). «The southern Shaba region alone is losing more than 40,000 hectares of forest per year. The needs of the city of Lubumbashi in energy-wood lead to deforestation of more than 10,000 hectares per year» (Binzangi, 1989). «Households in the city of Kisangani use wood energy for cooking, i.e. 226,908 bags of charcoal per year, i.e. 14,300 tonnes of charcoal per year compared to 1,802,124 bundles of wood, i.e. 60 384 tons per year. Consequently, the total quantity of wood-energy in Kinshasa is estimated at around 4.8 million m3 of wood per year (Projet Makala/CIFOR, 2011)». In the hinterland of Kinshasa, the regressive series at the level of forest formations continues its trajectory in an interrupted manner since the rate of deforestation has already reached 55.81%. Furthermore, the average monthly production of 41 kg wood bundles is 13,800 ± 84.85 while that of 51 kg charcoal is 45,750 ± 49.50« (Mavinga, 2019). These few estimates indicate the extent to which wood energy occupies a prominent place in the lives of the world’s populations in general and Congolese in particular.

A « quiet revolution » initiated in the 1990s gradually put ecological rationality at the forefront of environmental and economic policy concerns. Because most environmental problems continue to worsen and, in many countries, there is little reason to be optimistic. Considering the global environment in general, and that of the province of Kongo Central, in particular, we realize that there are many indicators of different forms of disruption of balance linked to several factors. which are interrelated, among which we can cite, savanization, erosion, loss of soil fertility, laterization, increased poverty, habitat destruction, pollution... In addition, the impoverished population of the Selo Kimbungu village with obsolete techniques, without planning or forest management or reforestation, coupled with the improvised construction of housing, have caused very large-scale deforestation, symbolized by « circles of desolation », deforestation radii exceeding more than two kilometres. To this end, the following questions can be asked: in the environment of the Selo Kimbungu village, do the activities practiced by the population jeopardize the ecological capital? What are the key factors that permanently cause the degradation of ecosystems in this geographical area? What are the different facets of ecological capital that threaten people’s lives? These concerns have led us to presuppose that the activities practiced by the population are carried out without environmental standards, especially since the peasant community remains in ecological ignorance which does not allow it to fight against the regressive series of goods and services that the environment puts at his disposal. There is reason to say that the village studied is subservient to a complex set of economic, social and political pressures, on which are grafted problems of environmental management. However, the different facets of ecological capital at risk are multidimensional and interactive.

In the year 2025, 83% of the world’s population, which is projected to reach 8.5 billion, will live in developing countries. However, uncertainty remains as to the ability of available resources and techniques to meet the needs of this growing population for food and other agricultural products. Agriculture will have to meet these challenges, primarily by increasing production on land already in use and avoiding further encroachment on land that is only marginally suitable for cultivation. As for sub-Saharan Africa, it is certain to say that agricultural activities have experienced limited development over a long period. The low productivity resulting from the latter remains an essential factor in the blocking of the economy, especially since food production is almost ensured by households and is based above all on self-consumption needs. Like the country as a whole, the province of Kongo-Central which, apart from its own supply, plays an important role in supplying the cities of Boma, Matadi, Kinshasa and certain neighboring countries with foodstuffs and other products from the Mayumbe forest. This study analyzes the modes of agricultural practices applied by farmers in the area explored, because they are the basis of low yields that affect the socio-economic situation of households. According to field results, men represent 53.33% and 46.66% of women. All have family responsibilities and practice agricultural activities in the Mayumbe forest or the savannah.

The various types of housing without ekistic standards that are currently being built in the Kauka and Yolo-Nord neighborhoods are different from those that have existed for more than five decades. There are strata of housing in three dimensions: unmodified (old dwellings built before 1960 which have undergone slight transformations), modified (old dwellings built before 1960 and have undergone changes without planning) and improvised (new dwellings built without referring to the land use plan and the development and urban planning master plan). Indeed, the majority of inhabitants are exposed to very deplorable socio-environmental living conditions. In reality, many dwellings are annexed by terraces, shops, hair salons, «malewa» restaurants, infrastructure (for ecclesiastical activities: churches)..., in order to better meet the global imperatives of competitiveness and economic growth. However, the policies and strategies mobilized in this framework affect the living conditions of the inhabitants, it is said that formal construction is therefore confronted with improvised construction. This phenomenon is linked to the spectacular increase in population for more than two decades. Through the systemic analysis of the process of spatial exploitation for residential and commercial purposes, this study shows that improvised constructions are the consequences of the alternatives implemented by low-income or middle-income inhabitants, in order to cope to social, family and urgent problems.

In the Lukula Territory, slash-and-burn agriculture remains the most significant occupation, but with negative effects on the vegetation cover. It is dominated by the presence of natives who exploit it anytime, anywhere, anyhow, in the mayumbe forest as well as in the savannas, according to three types of crops, namely: fruit, market gardening and food. This regular and irrational exploitation of the aforementioned ecosystems causes different forms of interrelated equilibrium disruptions, and this leads to low agricultural yields. What are the environmental and ecological consequences linked to slash-and-burn agriculture as practiced around the Lukula Territory? This concern has led us to presuppose that the environmental and ecological consequences are varied and interactive, mainly affecting the ecological, economic and socio-cultural functions that forest and savannah ecosystems fulfill. Hence, the constant installation of environmental, ecological, economic and social vulnerabilities.The results obtained from this study confirm that the agricultural practice area is located either in the Mayumbe forest (opinion of 71% of subjects surveyed), or in the savannas (opinion of 29% of subjects surveyed).

Each year the world's forests in general and / or the hinterland of Kinshasa (DRC) in particular is reduced because it is managed as a mine, that is to say, we draw without restitution. The forest contains much more than wood, the main source of income for the peasants. How is the production of wood fuels practiced? What are the cumulative effects of income from non-rational production of wood fuels? These two situations led us to assume that the causes are multiple and interrelated, generating various impacts. They are summarized in the reduction of biodiversity, the instability of the forest ecosystem, the depletion of a large part of the plant resources on which many economies are based. This article determines some cumulative effects on farmers' incomes.