KIGALI CITY TO REHABILITATE FIVE WETLANDS TO MITIGATE FLOOD

Kigali City in Rwanda is making plans to rehabilitate five wetlands to mitigate floods in the city. The Five wetlands are Gikondo, Rwampara, Rugenge-Rwintare, Nyabugogo, and Kibumba has seen city dwellers have been facing a crisis since only 24 percent of Kigali City’s original wetlands have survived.

The new US$12 million investment is vital for the area as the benefit could arise from rehabilitating each of the five wetlands. According to reports, those benefits are;

Gikondo

The rehabilitation of this wetland is considering other functions such as removal and control of pollutants, flood reduction, groundwater recharge, wildlife habitat, and other services as previous studies have shown higher health risks resulting from heavy metal concentration in soil and water.

To remove pollutants, The researchers have suggested establishing water filtration plants where incoming water and sediments are treated before entering the wetland and developing stormwater facilities with water quality criteria around the Gikondo wetland.

To attenuate floods, they suggest adopting stormwater treatment practices, dikes and levees construction, and advanced floodplain construction design around and in the wetland.

For Groundwater recharge and discharge, they suggest creating artificial lakes within wetland boundaries.

To become a wildlife habitat, they say wetland restoration, and stocking of new plant and animal species could improve the biodiversity in the wetland.

It is planned that technical assistance will also be provided to identify potential impact-driven, innovative financing options for private sector engagement around environmental sustainability in the wetland sites under a new project.

Green investment planning would, for example, include recommendations such as the provision of wetland space for small and medium entrepreneurs to develop tourism development and recreational purposes and support efforts to prevent water contamination and degradation in the future.

Rwampara

According to the researchers, the degradation of Rwampara wetland constitutes an alarming environmental problem that has not been given due attention when it comes to addressing issues related to water and wetlands management in Kigali City.

Rwampara is one of the areas that have been experiencing extreme flash flood events and it has been noted that this is mainly due to a lack of stormwater management strategies and lack of infrastructures to accommodate peak runoff accumulation from upstream.

Studies show that has been decreased water supply to the City as the Rwampara wetland has previously been recognized as one of the key sources of water to the City of Kigali.

Rugenge-Rwintare

According to a study by Alexis, Nizeyimana a researcher in environmental and development studies published in March 2021, the sections of the River Nyabugogo system are high in heavy metals, such as lead and chromium, and nutrients from organic material and soil runoff.

Polluted water exposes households to the risk of contracting diarrheal and other water-borne diseases, especially since 30.2 percent of dwellers drink this water without any prior treatment.

The prevalence of diarrheal disease in children in urban areas was 9.8 percent according to previous studies.

Nyabugogo

For years, a group of garages in the Gatsata Sector, Gasabo District, known as the ‘Gatsata Garages’ were responsible for hazardous oils and heavy metals directly entering the Nyabugogo wetland because they lacked the proper infrastructure for waste disposal.

Furthermore, most of the garage operators did not have toilets, making them dangerous to the natural environment and the health of members of the cooperatives operating in the neighborhood.

Kibumba

The Kibumba wetland is less heavily developed but receives elevated flows and poor water quality from the highly urbanized upstream catchment.

Several key flooding hotspots are linked with these wetlands, affecting business and transportation.

Researchers have said that Rehabilitation, therefore, provides an opportunity to attenuate floods while also addressing water quality, enhancing ecological functions and socio-economic uses.

SOURCE: NewsTimes