On the night of May 2-3, 2023, heavy rains triggered floods and landslides, causing extensive damage and loss of life in various parts of the Western, Northern, and Southern Provinces. Over 130 lives were tragically lost, leaving more than 20,000 people homeless, while infrastructure and crops suffered severe destruction. ALSO READ: PM Ngirente unveils homes for disaster-stricken families Here are interventions that have been carried out to rebuild infrastructure as part of the recovery efforts. 1,322 houses under rehabilitation From January 2024, the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management, (MINEMA) through the National Emergency Command Center ensured timely response interventions in various districts affected by disasters. According to the information obtained from MINEMA, the Contingency Emergency Response Component (CERC) project funded by the World Bank was created aimed at rehabilitation and reconstruction of houses damaged in May 2023. Out of 1,322 houses to be rehabilitated, 537 houses have been completed, 566 houses are in ongoing rehabilitation while 219 have not yet started due to the lack of land title of beneficiaries. However, despite the availability of funds for reconstruction, 2,763 houses have not yet started due to lack of budget for land acquisition, the report shows. ALSO READ: Climate change could erode 7% of Rwanda’s GDP by 2050 310 households from 14 districts affected by disasters have been supported with construction material including 12,667 iron sheets, 1,574 kg of galvanized wires, 1,780 Kg of roof nails, 423 kg of ordinary nails and 65 ridges covers. In addition, four schools affected by disasters were supported with 931 iron sheets, 129 galvanized wire and 77 65 ridges covers while 2,001 people from 16 districts affected by disasters were supported with relief items including hygienic kit, bed kit, kitchen set and school materials as well as clothes for students. Road rehabilitation According to the report, debris removal and initial rehabilitation of roads affected by landslides and floods, rehabilitation of some road sections and Nyundo bridge affected by disasters in Rubavu were carried out. Construction of Sebeya River protection walls Sebeya River protection walls were also constructed. The Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB) has built retention walls along the Sebeya River in Rwanda to prevent flooding and protect residents. The walls are located in seven of the 14 identified hotspots along the river, covering almost 1.3 kilometers. The walls are designed to reinforce vulnerable areas and reduce the risk of flooding. The walls will prevent water from spreading to the river banks and protect residents from severe floods. 2 million cubic metre dam, channels The water resources board has also taken other measures to reduce flooding, including constructing the Sebeya Retention Dam, which can hold up to 2 million cubic meters of water . Constructing the Bukeri Channels to reduce overflow to agricultural areas and urban centers, constructing the Gisunyu-Karambo protection wall to prevent erosion as well as planting bamboo trees along the river to protect the riverbanks was carried out. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s Climate Finance Deals $26 million secured for building houses for disaster-affected families The Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) secured over $26 million in form of a loan and grant from the World Bank to support building homes for families within disaster-affected districts across the country as announced in October , 2024. ALSO READ: Rwanda Faces $7 Billion Funding Gap to Implement Climate Action Plan According to the emergency ministry, the funds were allocated for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 6,218 houses, of which 2,830 are ongoing, 2,052 completed and 1,335 remain.
