The National Risk Atlas, a new document with maps providing a comprehensive disaster risk profile of the country, was on Monday published by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR).

The atlas – the first of its kind – is scheduled to be officially launched on September 10.

Jean Baptiste Nsengiyumva, the Director of Risk Reduction and Preparedness at MIDIMAR, said the ministry was now able to better coordinate all disaster management initiatives in a proactive manner and thus reduce risks.

"Previously, we knew there were many risk areas but we found it hard to tell the degree of danger but the maps now show the area and the degree of risk. Earlier, we also didn’t know the elements at risk in an area but now we can tells,” Nsengiyumva said.

"Now, whenever anyone wants to make an investment, the document is now online and highlights  the problems likely to be encountered in any area.”

The atlas presents results of the hazard assessment and mapping of five major hazards that prevail in Rwanda:  drought, landslides, floods, earthquakes and windstorms.

"Agriculture is one of the major sectors that the majority of our people depend on and food security is a key issue for the country. This is another key area where the risk information from the National Risk Atlas could provide useful input to inform the government and other stakeholders’ interventions,” reads part of the Atlas.

Drought

Bugesera, Nyagatare, Gatsibo, Kayonza, Ngoma and Kirehe districts in Eastern Province and the eastern parts of Nyanza and Gisagara districts in Southern Province are most exposed to drought.

MIDMAR says the main purpose of the drought hazard mapping exercise is to produce drought hazard zonation maps that can be used by governmental institutions, NGOs and other stakeholders towards the management of rainfall unpredictability and early warning of the population living in drought-prone areas for emergency preparedness and resilience development.

"Since Rwanda has two agricultural seasons (A & B), with Season B characterised by low levels of produce, farmers should plant crops that require  less water. Special attention should be paid to the Eastern Province since it has less rainfall than the other parts of the country. This could be done by putting in place certain mitigation measures such as irrigation, water retention, etc.”

Landslides

Due to its hilly topography, Rwanda shows high susceptibility to landslides, 42 per cent of the country’s area is classified– with moderate to very high susceptibility. The western high lands are the most prone to landslides.

Districts with high to very high susceptibility are Gakenke, Karongi, Muhanga, Ngororero, Nyabihu, Nyamagabe, Nyamasheke, Nyaruguru, Rusizi, Rubavu, and Rutsiro.

Nyabihu has the highest percentage (58 per cent) of area exposed to high and very high slope susceptibility and accounts for the highest number of people killed by landslides and the highest number of houses destroyed by landslides.

Floods

Five flood plains areas were mapped; Nyabarongo plain – covering the districts of Kamonyi, Bugesera, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, Rwamagana and Ngoma– Nyabisindu Nyanza District; Sebeya in the districts of Rubavu, Ngororero and Rutsiro; Mukungwa in the districts of Musanze, Nyabihu, Muhanga, Gakenke; and Kagitumba in Nyagatare District.

Earthquakes

According to the maps, zones located close to the Lake Kivu basin are more exposed to earthquake hazards. The further you go from the rift, the lower the earthquake risks.

Rwandan territory and the Western Rift Valley of Africa (WRA), in general, tend to experience severe shallow earthquakes.

The area that’s most impacted by seismic hazard is the western province. Between 2002 and 2008, five earthquakes struck the province causing deaths and damages.

In 2002, 1,643 people were affected in the then Gisenyi region and there were 45 deaths, while in 2008, 643 people were affected and 36 died in the then Cyangugu region, with the most vulnerable groups being "poor people living in fragile houses.”

The last major earthquake occurred early last month and was felt in the most parts of the country. It left people injured in Rusizi and Rubavu districts while houses were also destroyed in Rutsiro District.

Meanwhile, as weather experts predict El Niño to hit the region in the coming month, officials in various government departments await final weather assessment by a specialised agency of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an eight-country trade bloc in Africa, to know the intensity of what could be the beyond normal rainfall.