Disasters in Rwanda

Rwanda's disaster risk management system is based on Law N°41/2015, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Policy and the 2024 guidelines. The Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) provides national coordination through the National Emergency Command Center. District and sector command posts adapt preparedness and response to local risks. The National Disaster Management Technical Committee (NADIMAC), the National Platform for Disaster Management and the National Disaster Management Committee support technical and strategic decisions. Risk patterns differ across the country. Floods and landslides are especially serious in the north-western, western and northern highlands because of steep terrain and heavy rain. The Eastern Province faces more drought and irregular rainfall. Rubavu and the Lake Kivu and volcano region face earthquake, volcanic and other ground-related hazards. Lightning and storms affect communities across Rwanda. Fires, explosions, mine disasters and building collapses also require emergency response. MINEMA recorded 1,495 disaster incidents in 2024, including 191 deaths, 448 injuries, 128 houses destroyed, 2,005 houses damaged and 1,355.3 hectares of crop damage. Lightning caused 81 recorded deaths, mine disasters 49, house collapses 17, landslides 14 and floods 12. From 2 to 3 May 2023, floods and landslides in north-western Rwanda caused 135 deaths, 111 injuries, more than 3,000 destroyed houses and more than 5,000 displaced families. Reported damage and losses exceeded Frw 222 billion. Preparedness combines hazard-specific contingency plans, district and sector plans, public awareness, first-aid and volunteer teams, exercises, emergency kits, fire extinguishers and strategic supplies. Drainage and riverbed maintenance, erosion control, terracing, riparian buffers, safe building sites, lightning protection and compliance with land-use and building rules reduce exposure. Meteo Rwanda issues weather, heavy-rain and storm forecasts. The Rwanda Water Resources Board monitors river levels and hydrology, while the Rwanda Environment Management Authority supports geo-hazard early warning around Lake Kivu and nearby areas. Warnings may arrive through radio, television, press, telephone, the Disaster Communication System and local leaders. In the volcano region, a flood early-warning system is being expanded; 15 telemetric hydrology stations are planned and 3 have been installed. The response level reflects the scale of the incident. Level 1 covers up to 50 households and local evacuation of up to 100 households; Level 2 covers 50 to 200 households and evacuation of 100 to 1,000 households; Level 3 covers 200 to 10,000 households and evacuation of 1,000 to 100,000 households; Level 4 concerns a nationwide or internationally catastrophic event that exceeds national capacity. Sector committees manage Level 1, district committees manage Level 2 under national supervision, national institutions manage Level 3 and the Office of the Prime Minister coordinates Level 4. The Rwanda National Police leads search and rescue with the Rwanda Defence Force, MINEMA, the Ministry of Local Government, the Rwanda Red Cross, DASSO and disaster-management committees. Local authorities relocate households from high-risk zones to marked routes and safe assembly points. Evacuation sites should be established within 24 hours of an incident when needed. Children, older people, people with disabilities, pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses need specific support. Call 170, MINEMA's toll-free line, for disaster reports, risk information and support; call 9977 for water-resource and flood information. District and sector authorities carry out rapid damage and needs assessments. For Level 1 and Level 2 events, the assessment should normally begin within 24 hours, and medical and psychosocial support should be available within 72 hours. Assistance can include transport, temporary shelter, food, water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, clothing, household sets, bedding, kitchen items and funeral support. Schools, administrative buildings, churches and tents may serve as temporary shelters. Relief is generally provided without charge for the affected period, subject to assessment, approved beneficiary lists and actual need. A general individual compensation payment is not established; insurance follows separate rules. Recovery planning starts with a joint damage and needs assessment within one month after a Level 3 or Level 4 event, followed by a post-disaster needs assessment and recovery plan within three months. Recovery targets are six months for Level 3 and up to one year for Level 4. Measures can include safer housing or relocation, repaired roads and bridges, restored schools and health facilities, water and sanitation services, energy and telecommunications, agricultural and livelihood support, and restoration of rivers, land and ecosystems. The 2023 recovery programme included rehabilitation of 1,322 houses and additional relocation and new-construction programmes. Recovery follows a build-back-better approach and should keep reconstruction outside high-risk zones.