Study area

The Kivu rift area is part of the East African rift system. It is also one of the most-populated regions of Central Africa that in the meantime is exposed to a high level of geohazards.

• This region includes the Virunga Volcanic Province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), western Rwanda and Burundi, as well as southwest Uganda.
• A rare combination of seismic, volcanic and landslide hazards (with highly variable recurrence rates and potential impact) in conjunction with increased demographic pressure makes Kivu particularly threatened by natural disasters.
• The source mechanisms underlying the eruptive activity of the VVP’s volcanoes as well landslide triggering and dynamics in the region of interest are still poorly understood.