Two main dam initiatives are anticipated to extend the nation’s synthetic water-storage capability by greater than tenfold, as the federal government seeks to deal with recurring water shortages through the dry season.
Nyabarongo II and Muvumba dams are anticipated so as to add about 858 million cubic metres of storage when accomplished, in contrast with the present synthetic storage capability of about 83.54 million cubic metres.
The growth is a part of a broader technique to seize extra water throughout wet intervals and make it obtainable when river ranges decline and demand rises throughout dry spells.
Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva raised concern over recurring water shortages whereas showing earlier than Parliament in July to current the federal government’s actions below the theme, “Strengthening Rwanda’s Resilience to Inner and Exterior Shocks.”
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“Concerning water, I wish to say that the federal government could be very involved concerning the situation of water shortages, significantly through the dry season, which continues to have antagonistic results on the livelihoods of Rwandans,” he mentioned.
He attributed the shortages to a number of components, together with local weather change and declining river ranges through the dry season.
In keeping with the 2024-2025 Annual Water Storage Standing Report, the nation at the moment has about 83.54 million cubic metres of synthetic water-storage capability, together with dams and different water-harvesting infrastructure.
Nonetheless, the present capability stays inadequate to bridge the hole between water availability throughout wet intervals and demand through the dry season.
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The nation receives a median of about 1,200 millimetres of rainfall yearly, however rainfall is seasonal and erratically distributed. A lot of the water is misplaced as runoff during times of heavy rain, whereas river flows can fall significantly throughout dry spells.
Richard Nyirishema, Govt Chairperson of the Rwanda Water Sources Board (RWB), mentioned increasing storage is due to this fact central to long-term water safety.
“The problem is due to this fact to seize and handle extra of the water acquired through the wet season in order that it stays obtainable throughout dry intervals,” he advised The New Occasions.
Main storage increase
Nyabarongo II is predicted so as to add about 803 million cubic metres of storage, whereas Muvumba Dam will add one other 55 million cubic metres when accomplished by 2028.
Collectively, the initiatives would add about 858 million cubic metres—greater than ten occasions the nation’s present synthetic storage capability.
The rise is predicted to considerably enhance the nation’s potential to retain water during times of heavy rainfall and cut back strain on rivers and different sources throughout dry spells.
Nyirishema mentioned further precedence dam websites have already been recognized and will probably be developed as sources are mobilised, with the purpose of assembly projected water wants by way of 2050.
The growth can also be anticipated to enhance synthetic storage capability per individual.
Present synthetic storage is estimated at solely 6.31 cubic metres per individual. As soon as Nyabarongo II and Muvumba are accomplished, that is projected to rise to greater than 45 cubic metres per individual, in keeping with the Nationwide Technique for Transformation 2 (NST2) goal.
The longer-term ambition is to succeed in 120 cubic metres of storage per individual by 2050.
Past dams
Nonetheless, the federal government says dams alone is not going to clear up the water-storage problem.
Public establishments are selling rainwater harvesting at family and group ranges, together with for home use and small-scale irrigation.
RWB additionally plans to increase measures aimed toward slowing runoff and retaining water nearer to the place it falls.
“Rwanda is already taking measures to deal with this problem and plans to proceed and scale up water storage, enhance water-use effectivity, increase rainwater harvesting at each giant and small scales, restore catchments, discover groundwater sources and enhance stormwater administration,” Nyirishema mentioned.
Catchment restoration is one other a part of the technique, with measures together with reforestation, terracing and riverbank safety supposed to gradual runoff, cut back soil erosion and enhance water retention.
Heavy rainfall may create a second drawback: flooding and sedimentation. Fast runoff can carry soil into storage amenities, progressively decreasing their capability.
The federal government is consequently combining storage investments with soil and water conservation, catchment restoration, upkeep of current infrastructure and flood-management measures.
Nyirishema mentioned the nation additionally wants to scale back water losses and enhance effectivity in sectors corresponding to water provide and irrigation in order that extra of the obtainable useful resource reaches customers.
“Storage additionally must be matched by sufficient infrastructure to ship water to customers,” he mentioned, pointing to remedy vegetation, reservoirs, distribution networks, irrigation techniques and hydropower amenities.
Groundwater can also be more and more being thought-about as a part of water-security planning. The place assessments affirm enough sources, it may complement home water provide and probably assist livestock and irrigation.
The strategy displays a broader shift in how rainfall is managed—not solely as a supply of flood danger, but in addition as a useful resource that may be captured and saved to be used when rivers and different sources come below strain.
“Rwanda is more and more transferring in the direction of managing rainfall not solely as a flood danger, but in addition as a useful water useful resource—capturing and storing extra water when it’s obtainable, whereas slowing runoff and defending pure techniques that assist retain it,” Nyirishema mentioned.
The technique is predicted to assist cut back the influence of declining river flows throughout dry intervals whereas rising the quantity of water obtainable for households, agriculture, trade and vitality manufacturing.
