Drainage Basin of Lake Kivu in the Western Rift of East Africa and Hazards Potential

Abstract

A series of ArcGIS-generated maps were applied in analysing the potential for flooding and landslide hazards within the Lake Kivu drainage basin. This study was carried out using digital elevation data of the basin. The Kivu drainage basin encompasses an area of 7,382 km2. Sediment and water supply to Lake Kivu originate mostly from its eastern hinterland. The distribution of land sliding potentiality in the drainage basin shows that the northern and the southern portions of the basin are the ones with relatively low risk of land sliding, whereas the rift shoulders are most prone to land sliding. Mass wasting on slopes has the potential to grade downstream into debris and mudflows, promoting in turn further erosion and flooding. Keywords: drainage, Kivu, Africa, flooding, landslide, hazard