In Rwanda, this message could not be more relevant. The country's steep hills and intense rainfall make it particularly prone to natural hazards. In 2023, two forces of nature stood out as Rwanda's deadliest disasters â€" landslides and lightning. One crept silently through soaked hillsides; the other struck suddenly from the sky. Together, they claimed more lives than any other disasters that year, underscoring how geography and climate continue to shape risk across the nation.
Data from the Vulnerability Assessment and Climate Risks in Rwanda (2024) show that landslides and lightning have been the most frequent and fatal hazards over time. Between 2016 and 2023, landslides killed 449 people, while lightning strikes claimed 379 lives. Over the same period, floods caused 259 deaths and rainstorms 237, revealing a consistent and worrying pattern in Rwanda's disaster history.
The country's iconic landscape â€" steep, green, and breathtaking â€" is also what makes it fragile. Western and northern districts such as Gakenke, Rutsiro, Nyabihu, Ngororero, and Rubavu sit on hilly terrain that receives some of the heaviest rainfall in Rwanda.
According to the Disaster Risk Hotspots Assessment Report (2024), Rwanda has 326 identified hazard hotspots, with 134 rated as high or very high risk. Most lie in highland regions where rainfall often exceeds 1,800 millimetres per year, loosening soil and triggering deadly slope failures.
Human activity and a changing climate intensify risks
Human activities such as deforestation and cultivation on steep slopes have magnified these natural vulnerabilities. As trees are cleared for farming or construction, soil stability weakens. When heavy rains fall, water quickly turns into runoff, destroying homes, crops, and roads.
The May 2023 floods and landslides demonstrated this danger vividly. In just two days, torrential rains killed 131 people, displaced over 51,000, and destroyed thousands of homes, mostly in the same western districts repeatedly flagged in national risk assessments.
Lightning, though less visible in its destruction, remains equally deadly. Rwanda's equatorial location and high elevation make it one of Africa's most lightning-prone countries. The same storms that sustain agriculture can, in moments, turn lethal. Victims are often caught in open spaces such as farms, playgrounds, or church grounds.
Adapting through science, relocation, and awareness
Experts warn that changing rainfall patterns, longer dry spells followed by intense downpours, are increasing disaster risks. Soils become more saturated, landslides more frequent, and thunderstorms more violent. In fast-urbanising areas like Musanze and Rubavu, metal roofing and hillside construction further heighten lightning exposure.
Recognising these threats, the Government of Rwanda has strengthened disaster preparedness through relocation, infrastructure upgrades, and community awareness. Under the National Relocation and Mitigation Plan, more than 6,000 households living on high-risk slopes are being moved to safer zones. Engineers are reinforcing bridges and roads, planting trees, and building terraces to stabilise hillsides.
The Ministry of Education has installed lightning rods in schools, while local authorities extend protection to churches and community centres. Public campaigns now teach residents how to stay safe during storms and recognise warning signs of slope failure.
Building a culture of preparedness
These interventions align with Rwanda's National Strategy for Transformation II (NST2), which treats disaster risk reduction as a cornerstone of sustainable development. The focus is shifting from response to prevention, integrating resilience into agriculture, urban planning, and education.
Rwanda's geography cannot be changed, but its management can. Through reforestation, stronger building standards, and continuous community engagement, the country is building resilience step by step.
On this International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Rwanda's story stands as both a warning and an inspiration, a reminder that resilience is not built after disaster strikes, but every day through preparation.
Each landslide that scars a hillside and each flash of lightning in the sky reminds Rwanda that survival depends on readiness. The challenge now is not just to recover from disasters, but to stay ahead of the next one.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/landslides-and-lightning-continue-to-test-rwanda-s-resilience
