GENERAL INFORMATION
Grant Approval Date
End (estimated) Date
Project Cost
$883,457
Sector
Climate Change Adaptation
Executing Agency
International Centre for Research in Agroforestry / University of Rwanda Center of Excellence in Biodiversity & Natural Resources Management / Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resource Development Board
Current status
Ongoing
Background
Climate change in Rwanda is a threat not only to agricultural productivity, but it also alters the functions of ecological systems, resulting in modifications to ecosystem services provisioning (e.g., erosion control, pollination, food production, fuelwood production, water purification, soil conservation, disease prevalence, and reduced vulnerability to natural disasters) and the well-being of people that rely on these services. It also causes degradation of ecosystems and loss of habitat (for wildlife) and species. Climate change is complex and best addressed through an integrated approach, including natural resource management, agricultural development, livelihood improvement, support for innovation, and food and water security.
This project has the ambition to build agricultural resiliency to climate change, increase productivity capacity, and reduce sources of GHG emissions by promoting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in a vulnerable region of Rwanda. Key areas this project will focus on include: i) increased integration of livestock and crop production that is resilient to climate; ii) capacity building of small-scale farmers to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies to climate change; and iii) increasing biodiversity conservation through a gender-responsive agro-ecological approach.
The project will focus on the most drought-prone area of the country (e.g., Eastern Province), including the buffer zones of Akagera National Park (ANP) (which extend to the districts of Nyagatare, Gatsibo, and Kayonza) and Kirehe District. The project targets approximately 2,000 households (e.g., 500 households in each district). The baseline shows that in Eastern Province of Rwanda, agroforestry tree cover was estimated at 5.2%. This low tree cover exposes farmers to climate vulnerability due to prolonged droughts. Ninety percent of cropland is dominated by annual crops exposed to the prolonged drought causing crop failure that affects livelihoods in the region. Insufficient fodder trees for milk production and quality manure reduce income and crop productivity in this fragile area. In addition, low soil organic carbon caused by low tree cover makes the land more degraded and fragile, which compromises crop productivity and exposes farmers to poverty. The low tree cover also has a negative influence on the hydrology cycle and limitation of wind breaks.
Objectives
The project seeks to strengthen resilience and food security and improve the livelihoods of farmers vulnerable to climate change. This includes the adoption of climate-smart agriculture approaches, the use of drought-tolerant crop varieties, and the creation of revenue-generating activities in the agriculture sector. The project is being implemented in the Eastern Province of Rwanda, which is severely drought-prone, including the buffer zones of Akagera National Park (ANP) in the Nyagatare, Gatsibo, Kayonza, and Kirehe districts. The project targets approximately 2,000 households in these districts.
Main Components/Outputs
The project articulates around three main components
- Specific Objective 1: Adoption of climate-smart agriculture approaches
Output 1.1: More land in agroforestry and other climate-smart and conservation agriculture approaches.
Output 1.2: Water collection systems built and functional.
Output 1.3: Weather information products made available to farmers.
- Specific Objective 2: Adoption of drought-tolerant crop varieties to reduce malnutrition
Output 2.1: Increased production of fruits and other drought-tolerant high-yielding crop varieties.
- Specific Objective 3: Creation of revenue-generating opportunities
Output 3.1: Youth, women, and men trained in income-generating activities.
Activity 3.1.1: Conduct workshops on entrepreneurship, business planning, and marketing skills.
Key Achievements or Progress
While the project is ongoing, the following interim results have been achieved:
14,695 forest and fruit trees distributed to farmers under the framework of the agroforestry and other climate-smart and conservation agriculture approaches.
Over 470 farmers (27% women) sensitized on agroforestry principles, tree seedling maintenance, and tree products.
50 lead farmers selected and trained from the four districts, equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective implementation of agroforestry practices.
328,915 trees planted across the four focus districts of the project.
Over 1,554 farmers (50% women) involved in tree planting across all project sites in Eastern Province under the guidance of lead farmers.
2,069 hectares covered, corresponding to 103% of the project target areas. The planted size varied from 501 to 556 hectares per area.
40 local farmers in beneficiary communities from Kayonza District trained on the use of the solar-powered irrigation system.
Establishment of a functional irrigation system with farm ponds powered by 34 solar panels (430W each).
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