Musanze residents welcome effort to curb floods from Volcanoes Park

Musanze residents and local leaders are upbeat as more efforts are put into containing water from the Volcanoes National Park which flood nearby rivers which has in the past claimed lives and destroyed property. The rivers that are mainly affected are Susa, Muhe and Rwebeya. Residents have welcomed efforts to plant bamboo and banana trees around the river banks, especially where the three streams intersect. Marie-Chantal Nirere, a resident of Muko Sector, said her crops have previously been washed away by floods but the bamboo trees will now contain the waters. “The rivers have been a major threat to us. I would have relocated from here long time ago if I had the means,” said Nirere. Florence Ntawukundwanabose, another resident, said although there are no long lasting solutions to rainwater flowing from the park, planting bamboos and bananas will help in mitigating the impacts. “The water from the rivers floods our crops and homes whenever it rains,” she said. She also appealed to the Government and partners to do whatever they can to ensure a long lasting solution. A recent research by Faith Victory Association (FVA), a local NGO, revealed that over the past three years, at least 10 people died due to floods from the rivers while over 100 houses, worth Rwf300 million were washed away. Over 25 hectares of land, worth Rwf13.5 million, were also washed away, according to the data from the same period. The research showed that a long lasting solution would cost at least Rwf1.5 billion, which requires pushing back the banks of the rivers, among other measures. Raphael Mushumba, the FVA coordinator, said the idea of planting bamboos was conceived after a feasibility study recommended it as one of ways to mitigate erosion. Around 5,000 bamboos and over 1,500 bananas have been planted in the first phase. Mushumba said plans are underway to mobilise partners to avail funds for a long-lasting solution to be devised. He also said that they plan to build gabions and plant more bamboos around the rivers. People who are likely to be affected by the floods will be relocated if funds are available, according to Mushumba. Jean-Pierre Munyambaraga, an agronomist in Muko sector, hailed the support from FVA, saying the bamboos will not only help in erosion control but also will be harvested for other benefits. “Bamboos will help in erosion control and the soil will be maintained once they have grown, but this is not a long lasting solution. However, there is need for government and partners to intervene and extend the river banks and construct more gabions along the rivers,” he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Musanze residents welcome effort to curb floods from Volcanoes Park