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Adapting to climate change through appropriate climate
change adaptation strategies to reduce vulnerability
“A case of Gishwati area-Rwanda”
Expert Meeting on Climate Change
Education for Sustainable
Development in Africa
Mauritius, 20- 22,March
BY: JOHNSON NKUSI
The problem
- Gishwati has the most fertile soil in the
country, environmental burden caused by the
newly settled human activities such as
deforestation and over cultivation on steep
slopes went beyond the tolerance level
- Further more, over the past decade,
fluctuation of precipitation, probably due to
climate change, worsened the situation of
soil degradation at hill sides while severe
flooding is happening at the bottom of the
hills as there was no water escape
The problem continued
-Under the condition and the continuous decrease of
the forest coverage in Gishwati area, soil erosion,
land slides and flooding phenomenon became more
and more problematic
Drastic change of the natural
vegetation cover
From 1986- up to 2006
The problem continued
- In September 2007, in Nyabihu District, 22 people died,
infrastructures destroyed and houses demolished , leaving many
people homeless and agricultural land were damaged due to a
sudden flooding caused by heavy downpour & Climate Change.
-This situation was more severe in Gishwati area, similar
challenges exist else where in Rwanda as this country is
recognized as the ‘country of a thousand hills’.
The problem continued
Demolished farmers’ houses and farms
Demolished farms
Objectives
-Study to analyze effectiveness of the best
alternatives for the community at each zone to
tackle with climate change impacts and produce a
Land suitability plan and Land use Map of the area
-Participatory community mobilization and
awareness meetings in Gishwati Area in order to
cope with new conservation measures at the
targeted areas as well as to realize sustainable
livelihood of the community was carried out
Methodology and implementation
-Writing a plan of approach for the revision of the
existing Land Use plan to focus on the rehabilitation
of degraded zones
- Establishment of a demonstration area in this plan
of approach
- PRA’s for the selection of a suitable demonstration
area
- Establishment of partnerships with other initiatives
in the area for the rehabilitation and relocation of the
community
- Evaluating the existing Land Use Plan
- Elaboration of a follow – up work plan for the
implementation of the Land Use Plan
Target groups of the project
These were all local communities in the project area
-NGOs & CSOs
-Youths and Women groups
-Local leaders
Techniques/approaches used to
adopt project activities
-Collaboration
-Participatory / involvement of farmers and their
representatives
- engaging other organizations or initiatives
working in the area.
- A stakeholder committee at the project site
composed of farmer representatives &PMT
-Workshops and meetings for involving
participation of stakeholders
An inception workshop
-Setting up a multi-stakeholders project steering
Techniques/approaches
An inception workshop
Techniques/approaches
Meetings with local leaders
Techniques/approaches
Meetings with local communities
Project stakeholders & methods
used to involve them
-NYABIHU District Authorities, Nyabihu Sector
authorities,UNEP/UNDP country office, REMAUNFCCC Focal Secretariat, RNRA,RAB, NUR,
RDB, NGOs, CBO, Media Agencies and
GEF/UNDP/SGP,
-GEF-LDCF &Japan/AAP,MINAGRI, GWLM,
Youths and Women groups
- Involvement through consultation, Meetings and
workshops
Replicability potential of the
proposed project
-Land suitability plan with concrete Land
uses alternatives
- Demonstration activities
-Institutionalized monitoring and
evaluation system of the project activities
-concrete measures about how to deal with
climate change impacts
Replicability potential of the
proposed project
Replicability potential of the
proposed project
Where the action took place
The solution
The solution
The solution
Land use bloc category
Area
Perimeter
(ha)
(m)
Crop land(yellow)
1,953
19,526.2
Range land(light green
1,484
14,838.5
Forest land(darkish green)
3,206
32,063.2
Total
6,643
Rangeland/grass development
Rangeland/grass development
Land husbandry in crop Land
Constructed graded terraces were planted
with Maize in CIP program: 432 ha
Crop husbandry in crop land
Harmonizing the healthy co-existence of the
agrarian communities with the fragile ecosystem
of Gishwati
The solution
The Big Picture
-More than 1000 families were relocated
from the project site
-7 senior Government officials,15
Government extension staff,18 local
government and opinion
leaders,60CSOs &NGOS,7 Private
Sector & Media
Emerging opportunities
-GLWM project in place being guided by
the updated plan
-LDCF and AAP projects where RENGOF
is on steering and technical committee
-Gishwati Reforestation &Afforestation
Project funded by IUCN and other
partners.
- Etc
Replication and up-scaling
potential
-Rwanda being the country of a thousand
hills its easily to be replicated to other areas
of the country.
- Already technology is being used by
different organizations in different parts of
the country including Gishwati area and
Rubavu Mountain etc.
-GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) is
also seeking a chance to establish climate
change projects in Gishwati forest to restore
the environment as well as achieving
sustainable livelihood .
Sustainability and cross-cutting
themes
The importance of climate change
adaptation is clearly stated in the
national Economic Development and
Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS)
(2008-12)
- Strongly in line with the
government priority.
-The Government of Rwanda
established the National Adaptation
Programmes of Action (NAPA)
-Agriculture &Food Security
Thank you for your attention