Project Addresses Water-Related Disasters in Kenya and Rwanda
A collaborative initiative led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) aimed at mitigating and optimizing excess water in Kenya and Rwanda has successfully concluded. The project, funded by the Government of Japan through the Mission of Japan to the African Union, focused on constructing water reservoirs and rehabilitating flood control systems in both countries. This effort was officially closed on July 17, 2025, at Serena Hotel in Kigali, with a total grant of USD1,260,197 allocated to support the initiatives.
In Rwanda, the project targeted areas that had been severely affected by heavy rainfall in May 2023. The flooding and landslides damaged over 3,115.88 hectares of land across several districts, particularly in the Northern, Western, and Southern Provinces. Mehnaz Ajmal Paracha, Officer-in-Charge who spoke on behalf of the FAO Representative, highlighted that Burera and Rutsiro Districts were selected due to their vulnerability caused by soil erosion and inadequate drainage infrastructure.
To address these issues, the project rehabilitated critical water and drainage infrastructure, benefiting approximately 28,875 people across 5,775 households. Key interventions included the rehabilitation of 2.25 kilometers of flood control canals, retention ponds, and bridges. Additionally, the project piloted the innovative use of excess water for irrigation, significantly enhancing agricultural productivity.
Enhancing Community Awareness and Preparedness
Placide Nshuti Kanyabujinja, a water engineer and irrigation expert at FAO Rwanda, emphasized that the project also focused on increasing community awareness and preparedness. Training sessions were conducted for 100 individuals in Rutsiro and Burera Districts, as well as 50 local government staff. Topics covered included identifying flood hotspots, flood management techniques, early warning systems, and preparedness strategies.
In Burera District, a 2 km gully was treated, and a bridge was constructed to manage floods from volcanoes that had previously damaged crops. In Rutsiro, a 1 km water canal was built to channel water into the Koko River, along with a 0.6 km gully treatment and a storage pond for irrigation purposes. These interventions are expected to irrigate up to three hectares of land, with potential expansion to ten hectares.
Impact on Farmers and Local Communities
Edouard Zirimwabago, a farmer from Rutsiro District, shared his experience: “We were trained on disaster prevention and preparedness since our region is hilly and prone to landslides. The project protected the Koko River and gave us jobs. We managed to afford health insurance fees and could buy food. Previously, we only farmed two agricultural seasons, but now we can grow crops during Season C, which is typically dry, thanks to the established pond we use for irrigation. This is a sustainable solution to improve our livelihoods.”
Emmanuel Uwizeyimana, Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Development in Rutsiro District, noted that the new infrastructure would help prevent severe soil erosion. Patrick Karangwa added that the project was timely, as water-related disasters pose a significant threat to millions of livelihoods, particularly in the Western, Northern, and Southern Provinces. He cited a study estimating that Rwanda loses 27 million tonnes of topsoil every year, resulting in the loss of about 3 million tonnes of crop production annually due to soil erosion.
Success in Kenya
In Kenya, the project focused on Migori County, where community water reservoirs (water pans) were constructed to store excess runoff. Previously, this runoff had caused flooding, damaging roads, farms, and settlements in the lowlands. These large community water pans can hold 70,000 cubic metres of storm runoff and support around 500 households (approximately 2,500 people) in irrigating over 40 hectares (100 acres) of land.
Joseph Matooko, who represented FAO Kenya at the project’s closing ceremony, explained that the project also supported farmers with improved certified rice and legume seeds, while creating job opportunities through grain threshing, particularly targeting youth and women entrepreneurs.
Doris Oseonyango, a farmer from Migori County, shared her story: “As beneficiaries, we were given 10 kg of certified rice seed—variety 644, known as Rice Gold. We received training from the seedbed stage to transplanting and harvesting. Because the certified seed has more tillers, we were taught proper spacing to optimize production. The hybrid seed was resistant to viral diseases, requiring fewer pesticides, and it adapted well to our local climate. As a result, our yields increased significantly.”
Commitment to Resilient Agri-Food Systems
Farayi Zimudzi, FAO’s Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, reaffirmed FAO’s commitment: “FAO remains committed to working hand-in-hand with governments and local communities to turn challenges into opportunities and build resilient agri-food systems.” Toru Sugio, Deputy Chief of Mission of Japan to the African Union, congratulated the governments of Rwanda and Kenya for their commitment that contributed to the project’s success. “We are proud that Japan, FAO, and the governments of Rwanda and Kenya have partnered on this project—not only to support agriculture but also to contribute to environmental conservation and disaster prevention,” he said.
