Mukazye River
The Mukazye River () is a river in southeastern Burundi, a tributary of the Malagarasi River.

Course

The Mukazye River originates in Ruyigi Province and flows south into Rutana Province, then turns east and joins the Malagarasi River.

Environment
The surroundings of Mukazye are mainly savannah forest.
The area had 70 inhabitants per square kilometer as of 2016.
The average annual temperature is .
The warmest month is September, when the average temperature is , and the coldest is May, with .
Average annual rainfall is .
The wettest month is March, with an average of  of precipitation, and the driest is July, with  of precipitation.

Marshes

The marshes in the watershed of the Mukazye and the north of the Malagalazi cover  of which  or 35% are cultivated.
This excludes the basin of the upper Malagarazi and its tributaries, the Mutzindozi River and Muyovozi River, and excludes the Malagarazi's downstream tributaries the Rumpungwe River and Rugusye River.

The Mukazye flows through three marshes in the Commune of Kinyinya, Ruyigi Province, none of which are managed.
These are the  Mucankende Marsh, the  Ntanga Marsh and the  Nyakagege Marsh.

In 2015 work was underway to develop the Mukazye marsh in the Commune of Giharo, Rutana Province.
In March 2023 it was decided to expropriate rice farmers in the Mukazye, Mazimero, Gatonga, Kinwa and Nyamikungu marshes of the Commune of Giharo, and transfer the fields to SOSUMO to grow sugar cane.
This plan was later suspended.
However, as of October 2023, 800 rice farmers in the Mukazye marsh had lacked irrigation water for three months.
They said the head of their association had blocked the pipes and sold two irrigation machines owned by the association.

Conservation

The Mukazye Managed Nature Reserve (Réserve Naturelle Gérée de Mukazye) contains papyrus groves on the lower course of the Mukazye River and the banks of the Malaragazi River  in the Commune of Giharo.
It has rich biodiversity. 
People live in the riparian zone and engage in fishing and harvesting grasses.
The management plan aims to preserve undisturbed habitats for biodiversoty, maintain favorable conditions for resident and migratory birds, support tourism and educational visits, while allowing sustainable fishing and harvesting of papyrus and other marsh grasses by the local people where compatible with the other objectives.

See also
 List of rivers of Burundi

References

Sources

Category:Rivers of Burundi