Assessment and Monitoring of Soil Erosion Parameters in the Transboundary Lake Kivu and Ruzizi River Basin

Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes, and the Ruzizi River are connected watercourses that lie along the border of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. Lake Kivu is connected to Lake Tanganyika by the Ruzizi River and is part of the Congo River Basin. Lake Kivu and the Ruzizi River provide the foundation for the everyday activities and livelihoods of more than 11 million people.

Soil erosion is of growing concern in the area and is further exacerbated by the negative effects of climate change. Soil erosion can lead to loss of fertile land, increased flooding, soil degradation, increased pollution and sedimentation in rivers which can in turn cause a decline in fish and other species. As such, soil erosion has a great impact on local communities whose livelihood is dependent upon the basin. The study conducted by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) offers an assessment and monitoring of soil erosion parameters in the transboundary Lake Kivu and Ruzizi River Basin.