After the deadly floods and landslides of May 2023, which killed 131 people and displaced more than 51,000, Rwanda began reshaping how it handles climate emergencies.
The 2024 Disaster Risk Hotspots Assessment Report revealed 326 danger zones, with 41 percent categorized as high or very high risk.
These areas put at risk around 31,238 people and more than 70 critical facilities such as schools, roads, and power lines.
The Ministry in charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) is using that data to plan ahead. Through its Relocation and Mitigation Plan, the government intends to move over 6,000 families from the most exposed zones and strengthen slopes that threaten homes and infrastructure.
Districts such as Gakenke, Rubavu, and Nyabihu now rely on daily rainfall alerts from Meteo Rwanda to warn residents early.
This is part of a broader anticipatory action approach, pre-positioning equipment, setting up temporary shelters, and releasing funds before disasters happen. Officials say acting early has already helped avoid heavy losses during recent rain seasons.
Rwanda's topography divides its climate almost in half. To the west, heavy rainfall and steep terrain make landslides and floods an annual reality.
Data from the Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Risks in Rwanda (2024) show that between 2016 and 2023, landslides killed 449 people and floods 259.
The hardest-hit areas include the highlands of Rubavu, Rutsiro, and Ngororero, where annual rainfall can exceed 1,800 millimetres.
Meanwhile, in the east, drought remains the main threat. Districts such as Nyagatare, Kayonza, Kirehe, and Bugesera receive less than 900 millimetres of rain each year.
Temperatures have already risen by 1.4°C since 1981, and projections show an increase of up to 2.2°C by 2050. In 2023, parts of Eastern Province lost as much as 60 percent of their maize and bean harvests due to delayed rainfall and long dry spells.
Adaptation in the western highlands focuses on keeping the hills stable. Reforestation, terracing, and the construction of drainage systems are underway. Engineers are also using gabion walls and vegetation to hold soil in place and prevent slope failures.
In the east, attention is on managing scarce water. Irrigation schemes under the Land Husbandry, Water Harvesting and Hillside Irrigation (LWH) project are helping small farmers store and use water more efficiently. Boreholes and solar-powered pumps have been added to ensure crops survive during dry seasons.
District disaster plans now match each region's dominant risk, slope stabilization in the west, and irrigation and water storage in the east. Together, these strategies show a country adapting to both extremes.
Floods in the west disrupt national food supply chains, while drought in the east puts pressure on prices and household incomes. Rwanda's planners now treat disaster management as a nationwide effort, linking local early-warning systems with national climate policies.
As the Disaster Risk Hotspots Assessment Report concludes, the country's vulnerability may be geographical, but its resilience depends on coordination. Whether facing floods or drought, Rwanda's strategy is built on a single principle: anticipate, adapt, and act early.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/how-rwanda-manages-two-climates
