The construction of Muvumba River multipurpose dam is underway.

Financed by the African Development Bank (AFDB), the €121.5 million dam will stand at 39 meters high and have a storage capacity of 55 million cubic meters.

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The dam 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.

The facility will supply 50,000 cubic metres per day for domestic use, livestock watering, and electricity generation, according to Rwanda Water Resources Board. It is expected to curb floods that were triggered by Muvumba River.

The Muvumba Dam project, whose design began in 2015, is expected to be completed by 2026, according to officials.

A 236-kilometre buffer zone will also be established and planted with bamboo trees to protect Muvumba Multipurpose Dam, according to Pamela Ruzigana, the Catchment Restoration and Erosion Control Division Manager at Rwanda Water Resources Board.

The activities 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.

"Schools will be provided with plastic tanks and improved cooking stoves, and cooperatives for mushroom production and tree nurseries will be established,” she said.