Agroecology and climate change

Nasho is one of the areas in Rwanda's Eastern Province where food production decreased due to drought caused by climate change. 80 percent of Rwandans depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and because of the drought many lost their jobs. Some fled to other countries. In 2015, FAO launched a project to enhance small-scale irrigation technologies, targeting Kirehe, Kayonza and Nyagatare Districts. The farmers were trained on how to use and maximize the technologies. Farmers from the “Calena” cooperative in Nasho received irrigation equipment and are now able to farm their fields by pumping water from Lake Nasho. They no longer only depend on rain to grow crops, and can cultivate year-round.