Consultations about a revised masterplan for Rubavu District began earlier this month, with focus on the part of the city which was most affected by last years volcanic earthquakes, The New Times has learnt. The tremors, which followed the eruption of Nyiragongo volcano in May 2021, caused damages on 2,990 public and residential buildings mainly in Rubavu town. A kilometres-long fault line, which resulted from the volcanic eruptions emerged and cuts across through Rubavu town into Lake Kivu. Consequently, a post-disaster government report in July 2021 advised district authorities to avoid heavy structures above or near the rift. We are currently revising the districts master plan, especially focusing on the part which was affected by the earthquakes, Ildephonse Kambogo, the Mayor of Rubavu District, said in an interview with The New Times. He said they are collecting views from local residents and experts about the width of the buffer area from the rift and what should be included in the new master plan. The Rwanda Housing Authority has advised us to leave 10 metres as a buffer from the fault line. Other people recommended 50 metres, while some others said 100 metres. So, before making a decision by the end of February, we are collecting and discussing all those recommendations with the help from volcanologists. Though it is not yet known how many buildings will be affected by the buffer area, the rift crosses through many commercial buildings and residential houses in Rubavu. Why is it crucial to avoid structures near the rift? Rwandas northwestern region is part of the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift -- which extends thousands of kilometres from Ethiopia to Mozambique. Lake Kivu was created as a result of the rifting. The fault line in Rubavu is a result of many other reasons, said Alain Joseph Ntenge, senior geologist at the Rwanda Mining, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB). The region is part of the active rift system. On the Rwandan side, there are two notable things: the volcanoes and the fractures resulting from the active rift system. Ntenge said it is necessary to avoid buildings above and near the fault line because when volcanic activities happen again, the already vulnerable place gets fractured further and could cause damages. Because the fracture in Rubavu District has become clear, and the volcanic eruptions will continue to happen from time to time just as the earthquakes, it requires us not to work like we did in the past. He said: We need to have plans on how people can avoid the impacts of volcanic activities on infrastructure. The master plan should be elaborated with precaution measures. “First, people should not build houses within the known fault zone; and second, in other places where there are no clear fractures, people should be advised to build houses which cannot be easily damaged by earthquakes. Rubavu District has announced the relocation of Gisenyi Hospital to a safer location by 2024. Ntenge said major infrastructure such as markets and hospitals cannot remain near the rift. However, recreational activities like theme parks would be allowed in the buffer area. Going forward, alongside our monitoring activities, thorough studies will be conducted to show whether there are no other fractures, he said. Last year’s Nyiragongo eruption and the subsequent earthquakes forced about 21,000 Goma residents to flee into Rwanda. At least 35 people died in Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province of eastern DR Congo. In Rwanda, the earthquakes caused damages valued at over Rwf36 billion. According to the government, overall recovery will cost more than Rwf90 billion.
