A group of people in colorful traditional attire poses outdoors with a large drum decorated with a flag pattern.

Sub-Saharan Climate Resilience Initiative: Empowering Nations with WaveDam Flood Defense Technology

Burundi

Project Overview

Background & Goal

Climate change is increasingly affecting Sub-Saharan Africa through extreme weather events. Flooding and drought disproportionately impact vulnerable communities, particularly those dependent on agriculture for livelihoods. Traditional water control methods have proven insufficient, disrupting economies and threatening food security across the region. Communities needed innovative, adaptable solutions to enhance climate resilience and protect critical infrastructure.

 

The goal was to empower government officials from seven Sub-Saharan African countries with the knowledge, skills, and resources to implement WaveDam mobile flood barrier, enhancing climate resilience against flooding and drought while protecting agricultural lands and community assets.

Solution

WaveSave deployed a comprehensive knowledge exchange program centered around our flagship WaveDam mobile flood barrier system, providing an integrated end-to-end solution featuring:

 

  • Training on WaveDam deployment
  • Technical workshops monitoring systems
  • Trainings on tools for decision support
  • Training on early warning systems
  • Customization strategies for flood control
  • Gender-inclusive approaches to resilience

Clients and Donors

This initiative was funded and organized through Climate Action Africa, supporting the project’s alignment with national adaptation priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 6, and 13

.

Location

Location: Mpanda Commune, Bubanza Province, Burundi

Timeline: 2023

Project impact

  • 21 high-ranking government officials from 7 nations (Central African Republic, Tanzania, Guinea, Chad, Malawi, Burundi, and the Netherlands) received specialized training
  • Empowered decision-makers to develop actionable flood and drought management policies and projects
  • Enhanced regional capacity for drought management and flood defense
  • Promoted women’s participation in climate resilience planning with substantial female representation among participants
  • Established sustainable South-South cooperation frameworks for ongoing knowledge sharing
  • Created a foundation for improved agricultural productivity, food security, and economic stability

Gallery

A man in a suit speaks into a microphone at a meeting. Other attendees sit at tables with laptops and papers. Blue and white tablecloths are visible.

Four people sitting at a table with laptops, notebooks, and water bottles. The woman in the foreground is writing.

A person with short, white hair holds a microphone, speaking in front of a screen displaying a presentation titled "Les Piliers du Projet.

Three people are seated at a table with laptops, focusing intently. Bottles of water are placed in front of them.

A man in a suit speaks into a microphone in a conference room with a portrait on the wall and a table with water bottles.

Two people sitting at a table with laptops, surrounded by bottled water. The woman is clapping, and the man is looking to the side. Two people are seen in the background.

People seated at tables with blue tablecloths, listening to a presentation. Water bottles and notebooks are on the tables. A projector screen displays a slide.

A group of people gathered outdoors, some wearing casual clothing and others in uniforms. Several are holding notebooks or electronic devices. Trees and grassy landscape visible in the background.

A group of people, including a person in a white shirt and blue cap, stand outdoors engaging in conversation. One person wears a green patterned dress. Trees and grass are visible in the background.

A group of people sitting and standing in an outdoor covered area, engaged in conversation. Some are wearing casual clothing and hats. Background includes brick columns and greenery.

A large group of people, including men and women, gather outdoors on grass under a cloudy sky, some holding red umbrellas.

A person walks on a sandbag barrier beside a waterlogged area in a grassy, rural setting with scattered trees and buildings in the background.

Three people walk along a dirt path near a line of stacked sandbags with green grass and trees in the background.

Two boys walk on a narrow path made of sandbags beside a flooded area, with trees and buildings in the background.

Three people standing on rocks near a muddy river surrounded by tall grass and cloudy sky.

A group of people stand outdoors, many wearing white shirts, beside large rolled objects, with cloudy skies in the background.

A group of people stands beside large black plastic bags in a grassy field, with palm trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

A group of people stand around a large, cylindrical black bag outdoors in a grassy area, discussing its effectiveness as a mobile flood barrier. Hills are visible in the background, adding to the serene yet purposeful setting.

A group of people in white shirts stand in a line outdoors on a cloudy day, with greenery and distant hills in the background.

Group of people inspecting large, inflated black bags in an outdoor setting with trees in the background.

A group of people standing outside, smiling and raising their hands, with a yellow building in the background. Some wear colorful clothing and headscarves.

Group of people in red and white attire performing a traditional dance with large drums in an outdoor setting.

A group of people in colorful traditional attire poses outdoors with a large drum decorated with a flag pattern.

A group of people in traditional and casual attire gather outdoors, some holding cultural items, with trees in the background.

Two men stand outdoors, one holding an umbrella over the other who is reading from a paper. A group of people is gathered in the background, near a tree and building.

A person stands outdoors on a dirt ground, speaking to a group. They are wearing a long floral dress. A crowd is gathered around, with palm trees and buildings in the background.

A group of people outside, some raising their hands. They stand on a dirt ground with trees and a building in the background. The scene is set on a sunny day.

Three children stand in front of a rustic, dome-shaped hut made of wood and tarp, with grassy surroundings and cloudy sky.

A lush farm with staked tomato plants under a cloudy sky, surrounded by palm trees. Four people are walking along the edge of the field.

A group of people harvest and sort tomatoes in a field, with baskets and piles of tomatoes around them.

A lush field of tall corn plants with green leaves under a cloudy sky.

Key highlights

WaveDam is a mobile flood barrier designed to provide rapid and effective flood protection.
Unlike traditional flood defenses, WaveDam can be deployed quickly.

Rapid deployment

Deployed 200 m of SLAMDAM in less than 2 hours to prevent glacier-melt flooding.

Community training

Local teams were trained in deploying and managing SLAMDAM and the early warning system.

Early warning system

Enhanced early flood warning with integrated monitoring and communication tools.

Resilience building

Reduced flood damage to homes and protected 250 hectares of farmland.

Early warning system

Enhanced early flood warning with integrated monitoring and communication tools.

Sustainable impact

Increased long-term flood resilience through community empowerment and scalable technology

Testimonials

What our clients say

The SLAMDAM project has successfully demonstrated how innovative flood barriers can protect vulnerable areas in Gilgit-Baltistan, offering a sustainable solution for flood management..

Dr. Muhammad Zia ur Rahman
Hashmi

Head of Water Resources & Glaciology, Islamabad,
Pakistan

SLAMDAM has transformed our community’s resilience to floods. With the technology and training, we now feel empowered to protect our homes and livelihoods.

Naveed Alam

Community Leader Passu
Community

The SLAMDAM project has successfully demonstrated how innovative flood barriers can protect vulnerable areas in Gilgit-Baltistan, offering a sustainable solution for flood management..

Dr. Muhammad Zia ur Rahman
Hashmi

Head of Water Resources & Glaciology, Islamabad,
Pakistan

The SLAMDAM project has successfully demonstrated how innovative flood barriers can protect vulnerable areas in Gilgit-Baltistan, offering a sustainable solution for flood management..

Dr. Muhammad Zia ur Rahman
Hashmi

Head of Water Resources & Glaciology, Islamabad,
Pakistan

SLAMDAM has transformed our community’s resilience to floods. With the technology and training, we now feel empowered to protect our homes and livelihoods.

Naveed Alam

Community Leader Passu
Community

The SLAMDAM project has successfully demonstrated how innovative flood barriers can protect vulnerable areas in Gilgit-Baltistan, offering a sustainable solution for flood management..

Dr. Muhammad Zia ur Rahman
Hashmi

Head of Water Resources & Glaciology, Islamabad,
Pakistan

The SLAMDAM project has successfully demonstrated how innovative flood barriers can protect vulnerable areas in Gilgit-Baltistan, offering a sustainable solution for flood management..

Dr. Muhammad Zia ur Rahman
Hashmi

Head of Water Resources & Glaciology, Islamabad,
Pakistan

SLAMDAM has transformed our community’s resilience to floods. With the technology and training, we now feel empowered to protect our homes and livelihoods.

Naveed Alam

Community Leader Passu
Community

SLAMDAM has transformed our community’s resilience to floods. With the technology and training, we now feel empowered to protect our homes and livelihoods.

Naveed Alam

Community Leader Passu
Community

The SLAMDAM project has successfully demonstrated how innovative flood barriers can protect vulnerable areas in Gilgit-Baltistan, offering a sustainable solution for flood management..

Dr. Muhammad Zia ur Rahman
Hashmi

Head of Water Resources & Glaciology, Islamabad,
Pakistan

The SLAMDAM project has successfully demonstrated how innovative flood barriers can protect vulnerable areas in Gilgit-Baltistan, offering a sustainable solution for flood management..

Dr. Muhammad Zia ur Rahman
Hashmi

Head of Water Resources & Glaciology, Islamabad,
Pakistan

Want to learn more about this project or how WaveSave can bring flood protection to your community?.

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