The rising waters of Lake Tanganyika are no longer a secret. The houses along the lake were invaded by floods. In addition, the Rusizi River is wreaking havoc in Gatumba, because it no longer flows normally into the lake. Environmental defenders continue to sound the alarm. Now, even the government is starting to agree with them. He asks his development partners to support him.
Albert Mbonerane, environmental defender, constantly reminds us that the rise in the waters of Lake Tanganyika took place in previous centuries and is likely to be repeated in the future.
The rising waters of Lake Tanganyika were first reported in 1878, according to conservationist Albert Mbonerane. But at that time, there were not many people living on the shore of the lake and it calmed down some time later. In 1938, there was a new rise in the lake’s waters. There too, not much damage was reported. This phenomenon recurred 25 years later, in 1963. For the first time, the rising water levels of the lake were described as a disaster. The edge of Lake Tanganyika was inhabited by a significant number of people. For example, the inhabitants of Gatumba in the commune of Mutimbuzi (Bujumbura) suffered floods and were forced to be evacuated to settle in safe places, notably in Ngagara and Cibitoke in the city of Bujumbura. Fortunately, after six months the situation improved and the lake retreated from habitable zones. As a result, Gatumba became livable again.
Today in 2024, the populations living around Lake Tanganyika are experiencing the same phenomenon which has become cyclical. Certainly, in the 1960s, people lived in Gatumba. But Kibenga, Gisyo (Kanyosha), … were not inhabited, because these places were humid. Today, all these areas are home to residential houses and are very threatened by the rising waters of Lake Tanganyika and some victims have fled their flooded households while others live almost in the water.
Why are the waters of Lake Tanganyika rising?
According to Mr. Mbonerane, this problem is linked to many factors. First, soil degradation causes erosion. Thus, the tributaries of Lake Tanganyika dump sediments and waste of various kinds into the lake over time. These sediments carried away by the rivers form a “ compaction » at the bottom of the lake. Which is favorable to the increase in water level. Note that Lake Tanganyika has at least 100 tributaries. Anthropogenic actions are the cause of soil degradation, particularly agriculture.
In addition to this, the only outlet from Lake Tanganyika which is the Lukuga River is a little blocked. The water is not flowing properly. This river needs to be cleaned, according to Mr. Mbonerane. But the rising water levels of Lake Tanganyika are aggravated by heavy rainfall.
These floods are not a coincidence
The water code (2012) prohibits building within 150 m of the edge of Lake Tanganyika given the highest level reached by the lake’s waters during its periodic floods. For the other lakes of the country (Northern lakes) the limit is 50 meters, 25 meters on each of the edges of the tributaries of Lake Tanganyika and 5 m from the other rivers of the country. Mr. Mbonerane is sorry that this code is not respected. The responsibility lies with the public authorities. Unfortunately, it is people who have built in legally unbuildable areas who are generally victims of the rising waters of Lake Tanganyika.
The inhabitants of Gatumba are among the first victims of the rising waters of Lake Tanganyika.
To deal with it, different environmental experts are unanimous that decision-makers must understand the danger the country is facing. Thus, those responsible for state institutions must prioritize compliance with legal texts, for example the water code, the town planning code, etc. These laws are clear regarding the management of lakes and rivers including Lake Tanganyika. And the population must participate in protecting the soil to fight against erosion and avoid throwing waste anywhere. But immediately, the State must think about relocating residents from high-risk areas like Gatumba.
« That the State take measures as quickly as possible to protect people who are victims of floods, because they risk of catching diseases », Specifies Gabriel Rufyiri, president of the Observatory for the Fight against Corruption and Economic Malversations (OLUCOME). For Mr. Rufyiri, the Council of Ministers should study this problem to find an effective solution.
Finally, the government recognizes the problem of rising lake waters
The Ministry of the Interior, Community Development and Public Security and the United Nations system in Burundi jointly signed a press release intended to facilitate the mobilization of resources to support the implementation of the response plan to the impacts of the El Nino phenomenon . This activity took place on Tuesday April 16, 2024. “Between September 2023 and April 7, 2024; 203,9044 people were affected […], in addition to 19,250 homes and 209 classrooms which were destroyed. The number of internally displaced people also increased by 25%, to 98,000 people. For the same period, the food security sector recorded more than 40,000 hectares of crop fields destroyed “, we read in the press release.
Through this press release, the government of Burundi recognizes that the country is one of the 20 countries most affected by climate change in the world. Thus, it asks its development partners to support the country to face it. Unfortunately, the amount of funds needed has not been specified.
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