A 236-kilometre buffer zone will be established and planted with bamboo trees to protect the under-construction Muvumba Multipurpose Dam, thanks to Rwf4.5 billion in financing from the Rwanda Green Fund, according to Pamela Ruzigana, Catchment Restoration and Erosion Control Division Manager at the Rwanda Water Resources Board.

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Financed by the African Development Bank (AFDB), the €121.5 million dam will stand 39 meters tall and have a storage capacity of 55 million cubic meters. It is designed to meet various needs, including domestic water supply and irrigation for a net command area of 9,640 hectares, covering the sectors of Tabagwe, Gatunda, Karama, Rukomo, Nyagatare, Rwempasha, Musheri, and Rwimiyaga.

Initially, before redesigning, the Muvumba Multipurpose Dam project was expected to be 30.5 meters high and store 35 million cubic meters of water, irrigating 7,380 hectares to cope with drought and providing water for domestic and livestock purposes in the Nyagatare district.

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Launched at the end of 2023, the dam is being constructed on the Muvumba River, which flows through northeastern Rwanda and southwestern Uganda and is part of the upper headwaters of the River Nile. The dam will also support livestock watering and flood control.

The project, dubbed the "Muvumba Resilience Community-Led Adaptation Initiative,” aims to enhance community resilience through participatory ecosystem restoration and safeguard the Muvumba Multipurpose Dam.

Ruzigana says that this initiative will focus on various landscape restoration interventions, including the creation of 352 hectares of radical terraces and 2,340 hectares of progressive terraces. Additionally, 239 hectares will be designated for afforestation, while 1,537 hectares will be dedicated to agroforestry.

"To protect the under-construction Muvumba Multipurpose Dam, a 236-kilometer buffer zone will be established and planted with bamboo. The project also includes social interventions to empower the community. Schools will be provided with plastic tanks and improved cooking stoves, and cooperatives for mushroom production and tree nurseries will be established,” Ruzigana explained.

The buffer zone protection and landscape restoration funding is expected to positively impact residents in the sectors of Karama, Rukomo, Gatunda, Kiyombe, Tabagwe, Mimuri, and Mukama in Nyagatare District.

Stephen Gasana, the Mayor of Nyagatare District said that farmers anticipate a boost in agricultural productivity thanks to the irrigation scheme facilitated by the Muvumba Multipurpose Dam.

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"Currently, we cultivate 40,000 hectares per season. Our productivity was unpredictable due to insufficient water, but this infrastructure gives us assurance that things are about to change,” he noted. He added that the dam will supply water to livestock in Nyagatare District, which often faces shortages, particularly during the dry season.

Gahiga Gashumba, a farmer in Nyagatare District, stressed that their milk production usually declines by about 70% due to drought.

"We have learned that the project includes a component to supply water to livestock keepers. This is timely because we were losing 70% of milk production due to a lack of water for our cows. We also need water for irrigating forage in pastures,” he said.

Gashumba also mentioned the need for small hydropower to operate milking machines. "If you have 300 cows, you need milking machines,” he said. He believes the project should help increase milk production to supply the milk powder plant under construction in Nyagatare District.

The Muvumba Dam project, whose design began in 2015, is expected to be completed by 2027, according to officials.