The Representations of the Population of the Lubumbashi Commune on the Proliferation of Service Stations near Homes: A Comprehensive Analysis

Introduction: The proliferation of service stations near homes is harmless and constitutes a real public and environmental health problem. The objective of our study is to examine the representations of the population of the municipality of Lubumbashi on the risks of fires to which this population is exposed due to the fact that the city of Lubumbashi does not have a fire brigade service to deal with possible fires. Methodology: A qualitative study was carried out in the city of Lubumbashi, especially in the commune of Lubumbashi in 2018. Results: We observed that in most cases, the population is aware of the risk presented by the installation of saltation services near homes. Conclusion: The government must ensure that service stations are established while respecting security measures for both the population and the environment rather than prioritizing economic interest to the detriment of the population and the environment. Gas stations are established without respecting legal standards on the location of these stations. Legal standards require a safety margin of 25 meters from any house, the same distance must be respected from the traffic lane.