ASSESSMENT OF WATER RESOURCE POTTENTIAL AND ALLOCATION IN MUVUMBA CATCHMENT

Abstract

ater Resources in Rwanda is not uniformly distributed as a result of climate variability and rugged relief. The uneven distribution of the water resource in Rwanda is also exacerbated by serious land and environment degradations. The understanding of such dire situations requires a scientific water resources assessment, allocation and improved planning. This research work has deliberated study on the assessment of water resource potential of the Muvumba Catchment and its allocation for water supply, irrigation and hydro power generation. The SWAT model has been applied for estimating the water resources potential of the catchment. The catchment was calibrated and the model was validated employing the limited secondary data source. The irrigation potential of the catchment was assessed setting established criteria such as land slope, soil texture and water availability. The modeling result shows that the annual runoff volume from the Muvumba catchment is 531 Million cubic meter (MCM). The specific yield of the catchment is 1.911 1/s km 2 or 0.0191/s/ha. The potentially irrigable land is estimated at 9908.4 hectares. The amount of water allocated for irrigation is 114 Million cubic meters (MCM). Water supply accounts for 14 Million cubic meters. Hence, the consumptive uses are catered for by the catchment yield. Hence, there is enough water resources at the time for the stated purpose