Authorities in Rubavu District are finalizing a comprehensive Stormwater Management Master Plan (SWMP) aimed at curbing recurring flash floods and soil erosion in the mountainous region.

The plan is being devised in partnership with key stakeholders including Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB), Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA), Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), and National Land Authority (NLA).

Under the plan, detailed designs will be developed based on the approved SWMP, which is currently in the final stages.

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Preliminary estimates from the Stormwater Master Plan study set the cost of long-term interventions—including new infrastructure, rehabilitation, and storage facilities—at $42.9 million (Rwf63.2 billion).

The plan will prioritize nature-based solutions, such as water retention ponds. Four retention ponds have already been constructed with funding from the Rwanda Urban Development Project (RUDP).

A total of 18 strategic ponds across the district are planned to be established to provide temporary storage and attenuation of peak stormwater flows, reducing pressure on downstream drainage infrastructure.

The measures are also intended to protect Lake Kivu from stormwater runoff. Other planned interventions include reforestation of Mount Rubavu and neighboring forests to help reduce runoff and soil erosion.

The master plan builds on previous efforts by the district to address flooding in the lakeside town, which is largely attributed to inadequate drainage systems where intense rainfall generates more surface runoff than the existing drainage system can safely convey.

One of the interventions is RUDP II Phase IV, which collects stormwater and runoff from Mount Rubavu and channels it toward Lake Kivu. The drainage system stretches from Rubavu Sector through Gisenyi Sector and into the Sebeya River before flowing into the lake.

According to Rubavu Mayor Prosper Mulindwa, about 105 kilometres of drainage infrastructure have been completed and an additional 84 kilometres of drainage channels across the district require widening or improvement.

"The undersize of existing drainage systems and poor rainwater harvesting systems from rooftops remain some of the key challenges we are seeking to address,” he said.

"A large part of the district, particularly the city, is located downhill and receives much of the stormwater uphill.”

Davis Bugingo, Division Manager of Flood Management and Water Storage at RWB, noted that rapid urbanization and climate change exacerbate the issue.

"The expansion of roads, buildings, and other impervious surfaces reduces natural soil infiltration, increasing both the volume and velocity of surface runoff,” Bugingo said.

"The city&039;s proximity to Lake Kivu also creates a complex hydrological challenge. High lake levels can reduce discharge capacity at outfalls or cause backwater effects, flooding low-lying, densely populated areas.”

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Rubavu is among districts in the northwestern region most affected by seasonal floods and heavy rains. It recorded the majority of 136 deaths and most of the damage caused by the disasters of May 2023.

Residents have welcomed the initiative that could prevent future disasters. They stressed the urgency of the project execution.

"We all remember the tragic floods that killed people in 2023,” said Innocent Manizabayo, a resident of Rubavu town.

"Beyond modernizing our town, our primary concern is ensuring that heavy rains never claim lives here again.”

Claudine Uwimana, a mother of three from Nyundo Sector, recalls the night her house was swept away in 2023 by devastating mudslides when Sebeya River burst its banks.

"We were sleeping in the early hours of the morning when our house filled with mud and floodwater within seconds," she said, adding that her family could have perished had they not been rescued just in time.

For her, measures to prevent future flooding provide vital support to the communities living along Sebeya River.

"Strengthening and expanding flood-prevention mechanisms is crucial to protecting the lives of these communities," she said.