Michel Nkurunziza
Davis Bugingo, the Flood Management and Water Storage
Development Division Manager at Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB), told The
New Times in an interview on Tuesday.
The completion of a detailed design for the Masaka dyke, a
structure crucial for creating the ecotourism lake in Masaka wetland within the
City of Kigali, has been confirmed. A dyke, as explained by Bugingo, serves as
a barrier or embankment to regulate water, preventing flooding from rivers,
lakes, or oceans.
Engineers emphasize the necessity of constructing the dyke
to contain water before transforming the area into a lake suitable for
recreational activities. This development aligns with Kigali's initiative to
allocate 25% of its space for recreational areas.
Once the Masaka Dyke is completed, it will form a lake,
paving the way for diverse recreational activities.
"Masaka Dyke will create suitable conditions for an
ecotourism recreation park, immediately upstream and around the lake,"
officials from the Rwanda Water Resources Board said, however, the specific
study on ecotourism and recreational activities will follow the dyke's
construction.
Bugingo clarified that existing studies primarily focused on
the dyke, the Isaka-Kigali railway, and the Kanombe-Masaka roadway crossing the
wetland for flood detention purposes.
"The main infrastructure is the dyke, which will serve
as the crossing facility for the railway (Isaka-Kigali) and roadway
(Kanombe-Masaka) in the Masaka wetland and for flood detention purposes,"
Bugingo explained.
Rwanda Water Resources Board will manage the Masaka dyke and
lake, while institutions like the City of Kigali, Rwanda Development Board, or
private sectors are expected to develop ecotourism and recreational activities
post-dyke construction.
Inyange Industries to be protected
Inyange Industries, an agro-processing facility situated in
the flood-prone area, will be shielded from potential flooding risks. The
feasibility study indicates that a multi-purpose dyke, designed to cater to
railway, road, flood management, and lake storage purposes, will pass through
the area. Plans also include the construction of a freight terminal station.
The anticipated Kampala-Kigali Standard Gauge Railway is
expected to have a freight terminal station close to the recreational lake in
the wetland, with provisions for 13 drainage culverts.
The City of Kigali aims to convert 22-25% of its area into
recreational spaces, and a substantial portion of the wetlands, approximately
15.76 square kilometers, will be rehabilitated for recreational purposes
according to the Kigali urban wetland master plan.
The master plan, developed by the Ministry of Environment,
outlines Kigali's wetland area at 7,700 hectares or 77 square kilometers.
The rehabilitation of wetlands aligns with the broader
vision of enhancing environmental quality and promoting recreational spaces
within the city.
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