In collaboration with RP/IPRC Musanze, University of Palma and EnRHEd Erasmus Project, Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB) took part in a summer school that brought together 30 professionals from both the private and public institutions, who are engaged in the civil engineering and hydro-geological fields.

The summer school of 2023 took place from 21^st to 25^th August 2023 in RP/IPRC Musanze under the theme “Use of software in the service of land protection against landslides and flooding.”

During five days, teaching staff and professionals in the field of hydrogeology and civil engineering were trained about methods for dealing with land protection problems such as landslides and floods.

Moreover, Civil Engineers and technicians gained in-depth knowledge on the approaches, data and possible solutions to protect the territory against natural hazards. 

The Participants were also introduced to  different softwares used in tackling and solving both slope stability and flood problems.

Dr. Hussein Bizimana, Hydraulic Flood Modelling Specialist at Rwanda Water Resources Board, emphasized the necessity of technology in addressing the challenges posed by landslides and floods.

“You witnessed the hazards we encountered in May concerning landslides and floods. We lack a sufficient number of capable staff members to effectively combat these issues and develop sustainable solutions. This includes conducting studies to identify citizens residing in high-risk zones and determining appropriate relocation measures… High-risk zones can’t be measured through eyes, technology is needed.” Said Dr Hussein Bizimana

The 2023 summer school was the second edition of its kind and it is expected to be annual event.