Rubavu: Water shortage pushes locals to search for it in the Ibirunga

The water shortage that prevails in the Northern Province created a situation whereby locals climb the Volcanoes to search for clean and healthy water for the daily use. This issue was raised in the meeting that started yesterday between experts from the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC) who met in Rubavu district.

The GVTC embodies three member states including Rwanda, Uganda and DRC and aims at protecting natural resources reserved in the Birunga National Park.

The water shortage becomes a huge concern in the dry season and it affects different parts of Rwanda including the mountainous region of Birunga that traditionally beholds enough water supplies due to its different fountains.

Due to this, locals decide to go upwards in the volcanoes to search the healthy water to use for their daily activities.

The most affected locals are of different sectors such as Kabatwa in Nyabihu and from different cells such as Myuga, Batikoti, Cyamvumba and Rugarama where only 20% have access to clean water.

Experts from DRC revealed to the rest of the guests that the situation is worse than in Rwanda. They said that some of the locals can travel between five to eight kilomenters to fetch water.

This creates dangerous and risky situation where rapes and other physical harms towards women were reported.

The aim of the meeting between the guests from the above mentioned nation was to assess means and mechanisms to utilize the water from the fountains from the volcanoes in the interests of the locals as Dr Muamba Georges from GVTC told our reporter.

Rwanda is represented by scholars from the INES and presented their research project to participants, a project that aims at solving the water shortage prevailing in that specific region.

 UM– USEKE.RW