Vulnerability of Rural Households to Flooding in Gicumbi District, Rwanda in Africa

Rwanda is one of the African countries facing significant impacts of climate change, with frequent floods increasing rural households' vulnerability. Gicumbi, in the northern province of Rwanda, is currently the most exposed to climate hazards. The present study assessed the vulnerability of rural households to flooding in Miyove, Nyankenke, Rukomo, Byumba, Kageyo, and Ruvune in the Gicumbi district in Rwanda to flooding. Climate data was obtained from the Rwanda Meteorological Agency. Primary data was collected from 399 randomly selected households using a structured questionnaire. The vulnerability of households to flooding was assessed using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) approach. The chi-square test was used to test the variation in households’ perceptions of rainfall changes. In contrast, the Mann–Kendall test was adopted to examine the variability and trends in rainfall. Except for Byumba, the results showed that the Mulindi and Rwesero stations had the highest rainfall variability, whereas all stations showed no significant change in annual rainfall trends. The majority of households (84.9 %) perceived fluctuations in rainfall trends. However, the households' perceptions of rainfall varied significantly across the six study areas (p=0.001) and their occupations (p=0.004). Households in Miyove were the most vulnerable to floods (index: 0.123), whereas those in Byumba were the least vulnerable with high adaptive capacity. Households in Ruvune and Miyove were the most exposed and sensitive to floods, respectively. The study recommends early interventions in establishing initiatives and improved strategies to enhance the resilience and ability of rural households to adapt to floods to reduce vulnerability.