Two days after the downpours has killed 72 people before damaging roads, houses and bridges in several parts accross the country, Rwanda Meteorology Agency has warned that heavy rains could persist up to the end of May, a situation that requires all sectors to adapt to disaster effects that will come as a result.
According to Jean Marie Vianney Niyitegeka, the Forecasting Officer at Meteo Rwanda explained that the country was expecting to experience heavy rains which could slow down by June but it kept raining due to convergence winds from Indian Ocean and Congo Forests towards East of Africa.
“It is important that all all people, institutions keep strengthening mitigation and adaptation measures until end of May,” Niyitegeka told APA in an interview.
Among the key sectors that are likely to be affected by disasters include agriculture, transport and energy, according to the same source.
Currently, the Rwandan Ministry of Emergency Management is educating people about the way to adapt to disasters.
Among other key technical skills equipped to the public to curb flooding, include constructing water drainages, gabions that reduce speed of water, avoiding waste dumping, planting trees and bamboos along rivers and rehabilitation of old bridges, it said.
At least 72 people have died over the last two days in seven districts across Rwanda since flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains began earlier in the week
The worst affected districts are Gakenke in the north (22 victims), Nyabihu in the northwest (18), Muhanga in central south (12), Musanze in the north (6), Ngororero in the northwest (5) while Rulindo in the north and Rubavu in the northwest (one each).
CU/abj.APA