Lake Kivu and Rusizi / Ruzizi River basin face manifold challenges relating to the unsustainable use of water and related resources, and the lack of integrated management of these resources across sectors. The basin suffers from low regulatory compliance, high environmental degradation, poverty, and insufficient access to electricity and drinking water supplies. This has led to negative impacts beyond the natural resources sector that affect both socioeconomic development and regional cooperation opportunities. Many of these threats to the basin will be exacerbated by climate change, with some impacts, such as increased erosion risk, already being felt in the basin.

The aim of the project is to support the river basin organization ABAKIR   to improve the hydrological and operational management of Lake Kivu and the Rusizi/Ruzizi River.

Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Collaborating partners: Autorité du Bassin du Lac Kivu et de la Rivière Ruzizi/Rusizi (ABAKIR)

Implementation period: January 2019 – October 2022

Beneficiary countries: Lake Kivu Region: Transboundary Basin of Lake Kivu and the Ruzizi/ Rusizi River between Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda

Funding by: German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), European Union (EU)