Heavy Rain Triggers Flood in Cities Near East Africa’s Giant Lake

A wave of torrential rains that battered eastern and central Africa has also helped push water levels in Lake Tanganyika — the world’s second-biggest freshwater lake — to record levels. Flooding has displaced thousands of people living along the banks. They include citizens of Bujumbura, the economic capital of Burundi, which has the world’s lowest GDP per capita.

Bujumbura is particularly susceptible to the ravages of climate change, writes Desire Nimubona. Incessant rain, along with erosion and soil degradation, have transformed the landscape of the city and upended the livelihoods of its residents. Today on CityLab: Africa’s Giant Lake Floods Nearby Cities, Displacing Thousands