Rwanda
Rwanda is a land-locked country of 26 339 square kilometres (km2) with a population of 10.7 million, which makes it the second most densely populated country in sub-Saharan Africa. Around 20 000 km² are used for agriculture, with 90 percent of cropland on slopes of 5 to 55 percent, and 40 percent of cultivated land is at risk of severe erosion. The topography of the “land of a thousand hills” and the climatic conditions cause significant forest, soil and water degradation. Erosion, reduced soil fertility, and destructive rains are amongst the most frequent environmental problems affecting households. With a degraded and ever scarcer natural resource base, feeding Rwanda’s growing population will be a huge challenge in the near future.
Key achievements from 2016 to 2018
- support to the development of the national Agroforestry Strategy and Action Plan to increase the adoption and development of agroforestry at scale;
- facilitation of the national taskforce for sustainable agriculture and natural resources development, a multi-stakeholder platform for improved coordination across sectors;
- organization of the Forest and Landscape Investment Forum in Rwanda on 16–17 May 2017 to showcase business opportunities and promote investments in forests and landscapes;
- development of practitioners’ capacities to implement and share sustainable agriculture and agroforestry practices:
- regional experts’ knowledge sharing event co-organized with International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and Wageningen Center for Development Innovation, on “restoration within a changing climate”;
- facilitation of 13 Farmer Field Schools in the District of Rulindo and training of 50 key extension stakeholders on priority topics including: agroforestry, agricultural and livestock management practices, mushroom production, soil and water conservation techniques, gender, nutrition and management of income generating activities; and
- support to Yanze farmers in landscape restoration, with over 12 000 tree seedlings planted.
Key information
Contribution:
USD 352 000
Restoration Commitment:
Restoring 2 million hectares (ha) of degraded land as a pledge to the Bonn Challenge
Location:
District of Rulindo
Government partners:
- MINIRENA, REMA and RNRA
- MINAGRI, NAEB and RAB
- MINALOC and the District of Rulindo
- National Capacity Building Secretariat and Kitabi College for Environment and Natural Resources
Research institutions:
- IUFRO
- ICRAF
- CIFOR
- Non-governmental organizations (NGO):
- Vi-Agroforestry
- IUCN
- WRI
Private sector:
Duration:
2016–2018