The Rwanda Water Resources Board has recently announced that the measures put in place to prevent floods caused by the Sebeya River have had a significant impact on Rubavu District.

In May 2023, Rubavu District was hit by heavy rainfall, which led to dangerous floods caused by the Sebeya River.

Following this incident, the Rwanda Water Resources Board implemented various measures to prevent future flooding in the area.

One of the measures taken was the construction of the Sebeya retention dam, which can hold up to 2 million cubic meters of water and release it gradually.

“Sebeya Retention Dam marked a pivotal milestone in flood mitigation efforts. The dam functions to control the release of water through slowly ensuring a controlled flow downstream,” Said Director General, Emmanuel Rukundo

In addition to the retention dam, the Rwanda Water Resources Board built retention walls on 7 of the 14 identified hotspots, covering nearly 1.3 km.

These walls were designed to reinforce vulnerable areas and reduce the risk of further flooding. The remaining hotspots will also be addressed in the coming fiscal year.

The rehabilitation of the Gisunyu Gully involved the creation of a network of ponds, including one main pond and 94 smaller ponds, with a total detention capacity of 2,500 cubic meters.

The Nyundo Bridge was also upgraded by the Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), which significantly increased its conveyance capacity from 12 to 80 cubic meters. Wing walls were also constructed upstream and downstream to redirect overtopping water back into the channel, mitigating the risk of structural damage.