| Disaster Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Field Mission Report |
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The National Disaster Management Centre of Rwanda, attached to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs made a trip in the Southern and Western Provinces to assess the vulnerability and damages caused by heavy rains and that resulted in several landslides and flooding in the two provinces The mission started at 11.00 AM on 08th June 2010and was made of the Commissioner Cyprien Gatete (Director of National Disaster Management Centre, attached to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs), Honorable Alfred Gasana,(Member of Parliament of the affected area), Mashauri Muliro (a disaster Management Student attached to the Ministry), and the driver II. OVERVIEW OF DISASTER PROFILE IN RWANDA Rwanda historically has been vulnerable for periodic natural disasters, mainly in the form of droughts and floods and landslides impacting the economy and the country´s efforts towards sustainable development and poverty reduction. Such vulnerability is a long term concern and an alarming call since it jeopardizes the country’s development path and set back development initiatives. Given this high level of exposure of the country´s economy to natural disasters, it is important that national development strategies of the country recognize natural disasters as a challenge and propose ways to move forward. In July 2002, a national policy on disaster risk reduction and prevention in Rwanda was formulated and approved by the Cabinet in July 2003. From the policy, a national body on Disaster Risk Management was put in place in July 2004, and was functioning as an Autonomous body under the Ministry of Local Government. In April 2010, a fully pledged Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs was created by H.E Paul Kagame, the President of The Republic of Rwanda and appointed General Gatsinzi Marcel as Minister responsible. III. VULNERABILITY AND RISK ASSESSMENT FIELD MISSION (a) OBJECTIVE OF THE MISSION The vulnerability and risk assessment field mission had as objective to assess the damage resulted from the landslide hazard in the provinces of South and West Rwanda, to educate the community as part of capacity building on the risk related to the hazard and give recommendation and guidance to the Government and other stakeholders on action that need to be taken as part of post disaster recovery activities and durable solution to the landslide and mudslide hazards that have become so common in the two provinces. (b) TOULS AND MATERIAL USED During the mission, two motor vehicles, a Pajero and a Nissan (4x4) were used to carry the team to the areas affected. Other tools that were available include two digital cameras and a laptop. Due to the heavy rains and the landslides in the area, roads became impassable and the team got the support from the local community in clearing the roads through the intervention of the local leaders in form of Muganda (or public work). In the North Province, the main road linking Muhanga and Mukamini was partially practicable with huge debris of land blocking the road and leaving the community unable to clear the road. It took the diplomatic intervention of the Commissioner Cyprien Gatete to convince the reluctant China Road and Brigde comapany, a road construction company to use their tractors and equipment to clear the road. (c) THE TEAM The team was composed of 10 people in total, four from Kigali namely Honorable Alfred Gasana, Member of Parliament of the affected area; Commissioner Cyprien Gatete, from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs; Mashauri Muliro, a student in Disaster Management attached to the Ministry, and the driver. Four official from Muhanga District joined the team and two local leaders, namely Emmable Ndayisaba, the Executive Secretary of Rugendabare Sector and JulietteNdaimana, the Executive Secretary respectively of Kibaga Cell completed the list. (d) MISSION AREA The mission covered mostly Rugendabare Sector, Muhange District in SouthernProvince and Gatumba Sector, Ngororero District in the Western Province of Rwanda. On our way to the affected area, the team stopped in Kamonyi Distict to assess the flooding situation of the river Nyabarongo and the surrounding swamp. A risk assessment was carried out by the team and an Early Warning Message was sent to the Rwandan National Radio by the Commissioner Cyprien Gatete to inform the public about the risk posed by the hazard and shortly after, the warning message was broadcasted. (e) DISASTER VULNERABILITY AND RISK ASSESSMENT FINDINGS All along our journey, it was evident that landslide and mudslide hazards constitute a serious risk to the local community living at the foot of the hills. Despite all this, the local community is resistand to go live in the Umudugu or villages which are considered to be safer. The topographic landscape of the country is mostly hilly and steeply and hence prone to landslide and mudslide disasters Human activities has also negatively affected the vegetation cover of the hills since the community tend to clear the land for farming purpose, whereas little effort is done to plant more trees and/or make terraces which could reduce soil erosion and the resulting landslide and mudslide effects. Poverty contributes significantly in the vulnerability aspects of people. The local community is not economically empowered to build resistant buildings and can only afford to build weak houses that are prone to destruction from a minor landslide or mudslide Lack of terracing and other proper farming methods such as Agroforestry makes it easier for erosion to take place and leading to landslide or mudslides and endangering the life and properties of the entire community. (f) DISASTER IMPACT The landslide disasters were the result of two day successive heaving rains in most part of the South and North Provinces. The precipitations were measured to be ……….mm for the day of 6th June 2010 and …………. mm for the day of 7th June 2010 whereas the daily average precipitation is………….mm. The daily precipitation is measured and recorded using a rain gauge installed at the Rugendabare Sector. Among the damage that resulted from the landslide and mudslide disasters we can list: • Crop damage, mostly bananas, cassavas, jam, etc • 2 houses demolished, one in the Kibaga cell, Southen Province and another one in the Nyagisagara cell, Western Province • Family properties destroyed such as table, beds, utensils, food, etc • 1 cow dead in Nyagisagara Cell • Major roads networks became impassable affecting the movement of the community and other people using the roads linking Buringa-Nyakabanda and Muhanga-Ngororero • Destruction of the installed clean water points in the Rugendabare Sector • Other non quantifiable damages such as stress, fears, etc One particular situation is the destruction of the house belonging to Uwizeyimana Assinati (35), a widow and mother of two children. The house destruction took place at around 3.00AM on 7th of June 2010. Assinati and her two children were absent from the house during the incident and during our visit as she had travelled to visit her family members. The mother of two is vulnerably poor and depends on farming a very small piece of land she inherited from her parents. To feed her children, she has to work for other village neighbors in exchange of food. The destruction of her house worsens her poverty situation and leaves her unable to cope with her own life and that of her two children. IV. CONCLUSION Landslides and mudslides pose a serious threat to the community of Western and Southern Provinces and the entire country at large. Proper consideration and attention must be given to these hazards and the community must be sensitized about the risk and best practices to adopt before and after disaster. People living in high-risk areas should be relocated to safer grounds as part of disaster mitigation and disaster risk reduction measures. V. RECOMMENDATION Based on the vulnerability and risk assessment conducted in the two provinces in relation to landslide and mudslide hazards, I therefore recommend that; 1) Further and thorough disaster vulnerability and Risk assessment being carried out in the entire country to establish the country’s vulnerability level to landslides, mudslides and other common hazards 2) To give more priority on community education since they are the first people to arrive at the scene of a disaster ,their intervention can therefore be very timely and efficient in disaster response and rescue operations 3) To emphasize on environmental protection which is key in disaster risk reduction efforts 4) To establish an early warning system for the most common disaster in the country 5) Training of District Disaster Management committees is essential for an effective disaster response activity |
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