Rwanda

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Integrated and sustainable land management

Rwanda has met a major development milestone in fully completing its land registration process. This was complimented by detailed surveying and mapping exercises, establishment of a use-friendly information portal and strengthened administrative decentralization for enhanced service delivery. Included in these efforts was the development of national and district land use master plans. These are critical to Rwanda’s plans for transforming into a high-income economy with 50% urbanization (MINIRENA, 2017).

To keep the pace and adequately meet LDN targets the administration and management will ensure the following activities are done:

• Updating Rwanda’s National Land Use Master Plan to integrate future climate change and specific actions related to land degradation.
• Update Master plans of secondary cities and other key towns to reflect the ambition to become modern cities and towns. Master plans will be implemented and monitored to ensure sustainable development of cities and towns.
• Mainstream LDN in District land use plans and local urban development plans.

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Afforestation and sustainable Forest Management

One of the main Rwanda targets according to second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) and NST1 is reaching 30% of total forest cover by 2020. To avoid potential land use conflict between forest sector and other land users, and still progress in increasing 32 trees and forest cover in Rwanda, the more feasible way is to increase significantly the number of trees scattered on crop / agroforestry lands – by developing and intensifying agroforestry techniques on all suitable lands. SFM with increased participation of the private sector and the community will be strengthened. The development and proper management of green space in urban area is becoming a high priority of the Rwandan government. This new challenge should be integrated as well into the District Forest Management Plans of concerned urban areas than into the cities’ development plans. Management of public or private conventional production forests, management of recreational forests and management of tree plantations on roadside and in private gardens is among priorities.

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Agroforestry and soil conservation

Main actions to be undertaken include enhancing research for diversified tree species, carry out the baseline study of the space occupied by the agroforestry on the agricultural land, enhance the use of agroforestry techniques and tree species to contribute to increasing overall forest resource output and agriculture land productivity, agroforestry for landscape stabilization and value chain development for agroforestry products. Other interventions will be related to soil conservation through terracing and conservation agriculture practices all around the country.

Figure 3Photo: Serrah Galos/WRI

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Efficiency in the Use of Energy and Promotion of Renewable Energy

The Government will also promote the use of modern energy cooking technologies to reduce biomass use and biodiversity conservation through the reduced use of three stones and traditional stoves and large dissemination of the improved stove, cooking gas and biogas and other sources of energy for cooking especially in rural households.

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Increase agricultural Productivity, Sustainability, and Resilience of agricultural production

In Rwanda, land is the scarcest production factor for agriculture, and its use needs to be optimized. This requires investments in soil and water conservation and sustainable land husbandry (MINAGRI, 2018). Under this priority actions will be undertaken activities related to Sustainable Land Husbandry and Crop Production Intensification to enhance the productivity of crops cultivated in Rwanda in a sustainable and climate smart way and activities related to effective and efficient irrigation under Integrated Water Resource Management frameworks to develop water resources and enhance the sustainable and resilient productivity of agriculture and enable development of new value chains.

Figure 4Photo: Serrah Galos/WRI

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Enhanced Environmental management and resilience to climate change

Due to the topography of the country (mountainous) in combination with climate change, Rwanda faces soil erosion, having impact on food security, infrastructure or resulting into disasters like floods and landslides. Rwanda’s leadership in environment and climate change management has elevated national and international awareness of the key challenges facing this cross-cutting sub-sector, but also home-grown solutions. From banning single-use polyethylene plastic bags, to piloting green and climate smart villages Rwanda is on good track (MINIRENA, 2017).

Figure 5Photo: FONERWA