Farmers and the communities who were recently affected by Sebeya River floods in Rubavu District have reassured of relief from potential disaster.

The overflow has previously led to the destruction of over 13 hectares of tea and beans plantations and other crops in Kanama and Nyundo sectors.

For the past twenty years, thousands of people in Rubavu District, Western Province have been displaced and massively overwhelmed by Sebeya River floods, a result of poor agriculture practices, deforestation and unsustainable mining practices upstream among others.

The Sebeya River supplies water for irrigation, drinking water, and hydro-electric power at the Gihira Power Plant in Rubavu District but its overflow has had undesired effects on hydropower and water treatment plants.

At the beginning of 2018, over 1,233 households also lost their crops and homes due to Sebeya flooding problem.

Last week, there are 3 hectares of tea and 10 hectares of beans were damaged by the Sebeya flooding.

Olivier Kayumba, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Emergency Management said that the flooding destroyed the part of residents’ crops and homes.

 "There is an ongoing project aimed to protect residents from Sebeya River flooding. However, the recent floods destroyed the part that is yet to be protected. This site will also be covered soon as the Ministry of Environment is leading the restoring activities,” he said.

Rubavu residents are part of victims of the current flooding across the country.

In only one week, about a thousand hectares of different crops and about 500 houses have been destroyed by heavy rains while about 28 people lost their lives across the country.

Sustainable solution to  Sebeya flooding

Sebeya catchment spans four districts (Rubavu, Rutsiro, Nyabihu and Ngororero) covering some 336 square Kilometres.

In the event of heavy rains in the districts, the flooded river has been known to destroy crops and properties.

Boniface Bizimana, who resides in Kanama Sector, Rubavu District said two of his houses were completely washed away by Sebeya River which also destroyed property including shops at the Mahoko Modern Market.

"For many years, Sebeya River has damaged schools, health centers, churches, farms, shops and other many others. The river has devastated my family’s farms, taking away our crops such maize, beans and potatoes but also we have faced challenges of losing fertile lands which was carried away by the flooding”,

"Embracing terraces, agroforestry and other smart ways of preserving the river through agricultural techniques friendly with environment are among techniques we are adopting,” he explained

According to Prime Ngabonziza, the Director General of Rwanda Water Resources Board, there is Rwf22 billion initiative expected to end the woes caused by Sebeya River flooding.

The project is being implemented Rwanda Water Resources Board in collaboration with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Netherlands Development Organization (SNV).

"The planned activities under this project are meant to sustainably solve problems that affect residents. There are various interventions activities such as creating dams, digging trenches, afforestation, among others. This project aims to transform citizens’ lives as it is a solution to improve sustainable development,” he said.

Curbing the flooding is being done by restoring landscape in the upper Sebeya River, through afforestation and the promotion of agroforestry, climate smart agriculture, radical terraces, small gullies rehabilitation, avoiding cattle graze near the river banks and others.

Frederic Hakizimana, Programmer Officer at Embedding Integrated Water Resources Management (EIWRM) at IUCN explained that participatory village and community ownership will ensure the sustainability of infrastructure restoring landscape and controlling flooding.

There are Village Land Use Action Plans developed by local communities, he said.

 "We have started by radical terraces in 5 sites in Rubavu District which are Yungwe, Nyanshundura and Bambiro in Kanama Sector and Murambi and Byiniro in Nyundo sector, where radical terraces, agroforestry trees, maintaining water ways and construction of check dams are being constructed with communities’ involvement,” he explained.