Analysing the Impacts of Rusizi Urban Growth on Kivu Coastline: Evidence in Gihundwe and Kamembe Sectors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t5334Abstract
Rwanda has emphasized on the acceleration of urbanization from 18.4% (2016/17) to 35% by 2024 and to 50% by 2050. Urban growth is always coupled with adverse effects on land, forest, and water bodies as result of construction activities, agriculture, water discharge and industrialization. This study intended to assess the factors promoting Rusizi urban growth and related impacts on lake Kivu coastline. Water samples were studied by analyzing biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), pH and total phosphorus (TP). Besides, questionnaires and interviews were given for survey. The findings revealed that agricultural activities carried out in Gihundwe and Rusizi Sectors, water pollution caused by fertilizers, pesticide and herbicides used in agriculture, soaps from car wash, improper disposal of domestic wastes. In addition, domestic and industrial waste waters discharged into lake Kivu could be a serious threat to ecosystem of the coastline because of high increase of BOD level, where a BOD level of 336 mg/L was tested from Kivu compound, while Budiki swamp discharges BOD of 448 mg/L, Gatandara river discharges 380.8 mg/L and Kadasomwa river 504 mg/L which are beyond the standard level of 50 mg/L. The study also revealed that sedimentation from construction, contamination of water of the lake caused by oil and chemical spills from ship building and water transport could have severe effects of the coastline of lake Kivu. The study recommends that the government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Environment and local authorities, should strictly enforce environmental laws and urban planning regulations in Rusizi district to mitigate the negative impacts of urban growth on the Lake Kivu coastline. Additionally, it is recommended that educational institutions and research bodies increase their focus on developing sustainable urbanization strategies and innovative waste management solutions tailored to the unique challenges of rapidly growing urban areas near sensitive water bodies.
Keywords: Urbanization; Coastline, Soil erosion; Pollution; Migration.
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