Lvemp II Rwanda Newsletter 4th Edition

Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (Phase II) Quarterly Online Newsletter Issue No 004 March-May 2015

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Rwanda

COVER PHOTO Valorised terraces in Ngoma District

&Impacting lives environment

Protecting the

LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter

Issue No 004 March-May 2015

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Dear Readers,

Welcome to the 4th edition of LVEMPII Rwanda Newsletter. As we continue im-plementing activities planned for under this project, we do express our sincere gratitude to you for your continued support as well as your valuable ideas and advices which are helping us to ensure timely and proper execution of activities.

Ensuring that targeted degraded areas are rehabilitated within the expected time-line and, at the same time, making sure that our interventions benefit communi-ties (in terms of proper environment man-agement, sustainable land use practices as well as social and economic improve-ment) require efforts from several actors, including our valued and highly esteemed stakeholders at local, national, regional and international level.

Throughout our interventions, we are making efforts to guaran-tee that our environment protection activities bring about positive change within the ecosystem and contributes to the socio-eco-nomic transformation of people’s lives both in the areas of our interventions and beyond.

That is what you will read in this new edition of our quarterly on-line newsletter: How we ensuring that our activities result in sus-tainably-managed environment and bring about socio-economic changes within the communities. Throughout this newsletter, you will read how lives have been changed, livelihoods improved, en-vironment safeguarded and how we are engaging communities through all our interventions to guarantee the success and sus-tainability of our activities.

From the District of Ngoma far in the East to Rulindo and Gaken-ke in the North, this Newsletter takes you on a journey to discover the achievements that LVEMP II has registered up to today. It also brings you closer to our beneficiaries to explore the impact and difference that the Project is making within their lives.

Throughout the many stories that constitutes this Newsletter, you will meet our beneficiaries talking about the Project and what it has changed within their lives. That is their stories and we have endeavoured to let our beneficiaries recount their tales. As we remain committed to our community-centred approach in what-ever we do, we believe that giving them a space to talk about the changes is the best way to go.

This Newsletter also brings you photos of some of our activities which, I believe, you will also enjoy.

I wish you a good read and, kindly, do remember to send us your feedback.

Thank you.

Annette Sylvie MUHAYIMANANational Project Coordinator


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LVEMP II works to protect Base River

Quest to improve beneficiaries’ livelihoods

Recognising best Resource Efficiency & Cleaner Production practices

LVEMP II impacting lives in Ngoma

Pictorial: NTAC Members tour physical activities in Ngoma District

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EDITORIAL

Content

REMALVEMP II-RwandaKacyiru,Kigali, Rwanda

PO Box 7436 [email protected]

www.rema.gov.rw

@LVEMP2_Rwanda

lvemp2Rwanda

LVEMP II Rwanda

Address your feedback toJean Pierre Bucyensenge

LVEMP II Communications [email protected]

+250783810145




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Controlling erosion and encouraging sustainable land management

How terraces are improving agriculture production and contributing to environ-ment protection in Rulindo and Gakenke Districts

The big story

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Fidele Nzabanterura,51, has vivid memories of how, some years back, he struggled to control soil erosion on his relatively ‘small’ plot of land where he grew a variety of crops to feed his family.

The farmer, a resident of Rurenge Cell in Mbogo Sector, Rulindo Dis-trict, often watched haplessly as rain-water washed away his crops, soils and nutrients-reducing his ability to produce enough food both for con-sumption and commercial purposes.

“Due to the hilly nature and the steep slopes that characterise this area, ero-sion was a serious threat to our agriculture

activities and greatly affected our pro-duction capacity,” Nzabanterura says.

In 2013, Lake Victoria Environmen-tal Management Project, Phase Two (LVEMP II) started activities to

The activities to protect the Nyabaron-go catchment in Rulindo and Gakenke (Base River rehabilitation and hillside terraces) Districts include setting up a ten-metres demarcation zones around the River, planting reeds and bamboos in the Buffer area and creating terrac-es on surrounding hillsides areas as a way of controlling erosion and strength-ening better land use practices.

So far, 60.7 hectares of land have been terraced, 6,000 agro-forest-ry trees and 2000 fruits trees plant-ed and reeds planted on an area stretching to over 60 hectares.

In the neighbouring Gakenke District, 39.2 kilometres of demarcation lines separating agriculture plots from Base River were created, reeds (1,466,680 reed cuttings) and bamboos (16,000) planted along the River’s Buffer Zone and terraces created on 21.2 hectares; 82,400 agro-forestry and 400 fruit trees were planted and 406,000 reed cuttings planted in the terraced land.

Continue to P3




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Controlling erosion and encouraging sustainable land management

From P2

ThE big sTORy

Environment protection and improved livelihoods

Apart from being a way of protecting the en-vironment from the adverse consequences of erosion, terraces have also contributed to in-creasing food production in the two Districts.

"The impact has been immediate. We are living a to-tally different life," Nzabanterura says. "While in the past soil and nutrients were washed away and thus affecting the end production, today we are seeing a positive increase of our production thanks to the ter-races that were created," he adds, as he harvests maize from his plantation which sits in the middle of the terraced area in Mbogo Sector, Rulindo District.

Like Nzabanterura, Violetta Mukangiriye, a res-ident of Mucuro Village in Gakenke District, has also seen an improvement in her food production.

On the same plot where the 25-year-old farmer used to get less than 50 kilograms of food upon harvesting, she now gets about 100 Kilograms.

"The production has almost doubled," the young wom-an says, smilingly. "A lot has changed in our lives."But apart from the significant increase in food production, the terraces also stand as an important asset to the environment.

Indeed, the terraces have stopped soils from being washed down the valley as a result of rampant erosion which had affected the area for years, affecting its environment and people's capacity to produce enough food.The ensuing reduction of soil erosion on the steep slopes of Rulindo and Gakenke Dis-tricts has, thus, improved the local envi-ronment and enhanced soil productivity.

How terraces are improving agriculture production and contributing to environ-ment protection in Rulindo and Gakenke Districtsu

FIdele Nzabanterura in his maize plantation in Rulindo District © LVEMPII Rwanda




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LVEMP II works to protect Base River

Last year, Lake Victoria Environ-mental Management Project, Phase Two (LVEMP II) started activities to rehabilitate Base River, one of the Nyabarongo River tributaries, in the Northern Gakenke District.

The activities to protect Base includ-ed setting up a ten-metres demarca-tion zones around the River, planting reeds and bamboos in the Buffer area and creating terraces on surrounding hillsides areas as a way of controlling erosion, reducing the river pollution and the quantity of sediments that are carried by rainwater into the River and strengthen better land use practices.

Currently, 39.2 kilometres of demarca-tion lines separating agriculture plots from Base River have been complet-ed, reeds (1,466,680 reed cuttings) and bamboos (16,000) planted along the River's Buffer Zone and terraces created on a 21.2 hectares; 82,400 agro-forestry and 400 fruit trees were

also planted and 406,000 reed cut-tings planted in the terraced land.

Riparian residents and land owners around Base River say the interven-tions were much needed as they saved their land from being washed away.

From time to time, the residents say, the River over-flooded lead-ing to the destruction of their plots of land and damaging their crops.

Apart from damaging their plots and crops, the river also removed soil nutrients and fertilisers from plan-tations, greatly affecting the ag-riculture production in the area.

This created an environmental instabili-ty and hazard for local communities and thus the ardent need to act and protect it.

In March 2014, LVEMP II launched activities to rehabilitate and pro-tect the River for the benefit of

communities living in the area.

"The River does no more threaten our crops and land," says Jean de Dieu Ni-yibizi, who owns land near River Base.

Residents also hope that once trees, bamboos and reeds that were planted in the River's Buffer Zone and on sur-rounding hills are grown, they will ben-efit from environment and commercial benefits associated with them-includ-ing regulating rainfalls, improving the quality of breathing air, harvest for tim-ber and feeding their domestic animals.

And, as time move on, the residents also hope to see a constant im-provement of the local ecosystem.

"By rehabilitating the River, we aim to restore the river’s natural ecosystem to the benefits of riparian communities," explains Annette Sylvie Muhayimana, LVEMP II National Project Coordinator.




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Rehabilitation of Yanze watershed starts

Yanze serves 80 % of Kigali residents in clean wateru

The rehabilitation of Yanze watershed started in March with the plantation of bamboos along riv-er Cyonyonyo Buffer zone in Rulindo District. Cy-onyonyo is an upstream tributary of Yanze River.

Rwanda Environment Management Project (REMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rwanda Natural resources Authority (RNRA) to im-plement the watershed rehabilitation activities.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Re-sources (MINIRENA) Fatina Mukarubibi presided over the launch of the activities which will take 18 months.

Bamboos are set to be planted in the river's buffer zone to protect it against the adverse effects of poor land manage-ment and erosion and improve on the quality of its water.

Water from Yanze River serves 80 per cent of residents in the City of Kigali, according to official figures. The protection of Yanze and its tributaries will then improve the quality of water that is distributed and used by the majority of households in Kigali.

Speaking at the event, PS Mukarubibi reminded residents that rivers, wetlands and lakes ought to be protected be-cause they are important reservoirs of water that people need to survive and which they use in their daily activities.

She said the protection of Cyonyonyo and Yanze will result in a significant improvement in quality and quantity of wa-ter of the river, thus meeting the needs of communities liv-ing around the watershed and particularly those in Kigali.

"It is our responsibility to protect this river," she told the hundreds of residents who graced the event."We must protect our rivers, swamps, wetlands and lakes and adopt proper farming practices to avoid pol-luting these important water reservoirs. We also have the responsibility to protect slopes against soil ero-sion as a way of ensuring quality water," she added.

Mukarubibi also encouraged them to respect the le-gal Buffer Zone around rivers, Wetlands and Lakes.

The Organic Law N° 04/2005 of 08/04/2005 determin-ing the modalities of protection, conservation and pro-motion of environment in Rwanda sets a protective buf-fer zone of ten (10) metres for any activity around a river or stream. For Lakes, the Buffer Zone is 50 metres.

p UP: Some of the bamboos that were planted to protect Cyonyonyo, an upstream tributary of Yanze River

DOWN: PS/MINIRENA Fatina Mukarubibi plants a bamboo as she launches the rehabilitation of Yanze watershed ©LVEMPII Rwanda

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Quest to improve beneficiaries’ livelihoodsJoy and excitement as LVEMP II hands over 27 cows to beneficiaries in Muhanga Districtu

Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project Phase two (LVEMP II), a regional project im-plemented under the Rwanda Environ-ment Management Authority (REMA), on April 2nd, 2015 handed over 27 cows to residents of Rugendabali Sector, Muhanga District, Southern Province.

The cows were handed over to beneficiaries amidst pomp and colour in a ceremony that was characterised by songs, dances and speeches that sung the importance of cows for the improvement of socio-economic lives.

The songs, dances and speeches also hailed the contribution of LVEMP II to the protection of the environment. LVEMP II has constructed radical ter-races on an area of 25 hectares and 75 hectares of progressive terraces as part of efforts to protect Nyabarongo River sub-catchment, increase agriculture pro-ductivity in the area, control soil erosion, reduce the amount of soil and sediments carried by water downstream into Ny-abarongo River and encourage farmers to adopt land consolidation. Agro-forest-ry trees and reeds were also planted.

LVEMP II environmental protection ac-tivities goes hand in hand with efforts to improve the livelihoods of citizens to encourage sustainable environ-ment and land management practices.

The cow donation exercise, which obvi-ously fell under the country's One-cow-per-Family programme, is part of ef-forts to improve beneficiaries livelihoods.

It was a day to remember for those who received the cow.

"I am extremely happy. It is the first time for me to own a cow and undoubted-ly, this is the beginning of a new chapter in my life," said an thrilled Virginie Ny-iranshuti, one of the 27 beneficiaries.

"I can now believe in a better future," she added.

Nyandwi Waridi was equally joyful. He thanked LVEMP II for the cow and said he expected his life to change for the better.

"I will look after this cow and I prom-ise that I will do my best to be a mod-el farmer. A new chapter has opened

in my life and I expect more improved living conditions," Nyandwi said.Speaking at the ceremony, the Director Gen-eral of REMA Dr. Rose Mukankomeje urged beneficiaries to look after the cows well in order to expect production and good results.She told them the cows which were handed over to them is part of the country's efforts to improve their liveli-hoods and encouraged them to seize the opportunity to transform their lives.

"All we wish for you is to see your lives improving and transforming con-tinually," Dr Mukankomeje said.

She further urged residents to con-tinue protecting the environment for the benefits of the entire nation.

Muhanga District Mayor Yvonne Mu-takwasuku thanked LVEMP II and REMA in general for the donation.She also commended the Project for oth-er interventions in the protection of en-vironment noting that it is not only a great contribution to safeguarding the environ-ment but also a contribution to improving people's livelihoods through job creation and increase of agriculture productivity.

Scroll to the next page for a PICTORIAL on the Ceremonyu u u u u




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In Pictures...LVEMP II hands over 27 cows to beneficiaries in Muhanga District

In total, LVEMP II donated 27 cows to its beneficiaries in Rugendabali Sector Muhanga Mayor Yvonne MUTAKWASUKU Speaks at the hand-over Ceremony

DG REMA Dr Rose MUKANKOMEJE (wearing a cap) was the Guest of Honour at the ceremony which was attended by local leaders and hundreds of area residents

Hundreds of rsidents graced the event

Itorero entertaining guests

Beneficia-ries were all smile after receiving the cows

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Recognising best Resource Efficiency & Cleaner Production practices

Winning industries are under LVEMP II ProgrammeuSulfo Rwanda Industries has won the first ever Rwanda Resources Efficiency and Cleaner Production (RECP) Awards after beating a dozen of other industries that had been shortlisted for the awards. Horizon Sopy-rwa, a pyrethrum processing plant based in Northern Prov-ince, and Kitabi Tea Company far in the south emerged first and second runners-up in the overall category.

The awards which were organised for the first time in Rwanda are championed by Rwanda Re-source Efficiency and Cleaner Production Centre (RRECPC) under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

In total seven industries were recognised. They are Sulfo Rwan-da Industries and Horizon Sopyrwa, respectively first and sec-ond in the category of energy efficiency and Green House Gases minimization category; SORWATHE and UTEXRWA in water management, Inyange Industries and Sulfo Industries in the waste Management category and Kitabi Tea Factory followed by Mata Tea factory in the solid waste management category.

Awarded Industries will participate in the Region-al Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production Award that is expected to take place in the coming months.

The award ceremony was held on April 2, 2015.

Over 110 industries in Rwanda are implementing the RECP program, with 70 industries involved in the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project Phase Two (LVEMPII) program on Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production.

All the industries that won the awards are under LVEMP II programme.

While speaking at the awards ceremony, the Minister of Trade and Industry Francois Kanimba said : "This award initiative aims at raising awareness and creating a recognition system for businesses to adopt Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production techniques for reducing their costs of production, increasing environmental performance through minimization of waste and increasing competitiveness.”

He added: “This initiative of protecting environment, saving energy and keeping production clean is fundamental for a country to promote green economy and green industry. It has tremendous impact on the competitiveness of business enterprises by reducing production costs”.

Dr. Rose Mukankomeje, Director General of REMA, noted: “In the beginning, when we started raising awareness on Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production benefits, industries were re-luctant. But, now they understand its importance, it is no lon-ger REMA’s business; it is about economic value.“she said.

“I encourage all industries to keep the momentum. Cleaner production technologies will not only help them contribute to the preservation of our environment, but they will also help them maximize economic gains”.

Hon. Minister Francois KANIMBA awards Sulfo Rwanda Industries which emerged the Overall Winner in the first RECP Awards

In total seven industries were recognised: Horizon Sopy-rwa, SORWATHE, UTEXRWA, Inyange Industries, Sulfo Rwanda Industries, Kitabi Tea Factory and Mata Tea Fac-tory. ©LVEMPII Rwanda




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There is a big difference between the time when we started working here and today. First, it was very hard for

many of us to meet our basic needs. But thanks to the jobs that we were offered during the im-plementation of this project, many of us have moved many strides in improving their welfare. For instance while in the past we struggled to raise money to subscribe to the communi-ty health insurance scheme, with some of us selling their animals to raise the remittances, today it has become very simple as we have a reliable source of money. Also, everyone of us has an account in the Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO), where we deposit our savings for for future needs.

However, the most important benefits from this project have come in form of increased agricul-

ture productivity. After the creation of the radical terraces, majority of us saw their produc-tion doubling and tripling-sometimes even beyond that.

For example, on the same plot of land-which I estimate to be about half a hectare-where I used to harvest only 2 sacks of maize (weighing 50 kilograms each), I got nine sacks the season that followed the creation of the radical terraces. This season we have chosen to grow beans and I am expecting at least eight sacks (400 kilograms) up from the only one I used to get before. That is quite a huge increase in such a short period and it has very powerful implications on our lives.

As a matter of fact, out of the production I got after the creation of the terraces I have bought a cow and renovated my house. That’s something I couldn’t afford in the past. I assure you I am not the only one reaping from such benefits. It is a general case.

Here, the thing is: in the past soil and nutrients were being washed away by water . Like that the production remained very low. But this time, thanks to the terraces, arable land, soil nutrients, fertilisers or manure can’t be removed by water. They rather remain and even the water penetrates the soil and go to feed our crops instead of destroying them. As a result, the production increases significantly. In addition to that increase, the terraces have also impacted the environment as the quantity of soils that were being carried down into Lake Rweru has drastically reduced and we are noticing that the quality of water has started to improve.

The impact has been immediate.

LVEMP II impacting lives in Ngoma DistrictUnder LVEMP II interventions in Ngoma District:

AII these activities have greatly impacted the lives of local residents. Here we bring you testi-monies from two of them.

140 hectares of radical terraces have been creat-ed and valorised. The terraces were stabilised with reeds and check-dams. Over 634,588 agro-forest-ry trees were as well planted;

IPM trainings were organised targeting local farm-ers and seeking to improve their farming methods and land management practices;

Community Driven Development Sub-proj-ects(CDDs) were initiated and supported to im-prove the welfare of local communities;

Over 1500 individuals have so far DIRECTLY ben-efited from the interventions, with thousands of oth-er benefiting indirectly.

Demarcation lines separating people’s plots from Rweru-Akagera Wetland Complex were created on a distance of 35.3 kilometres. The demarcated buffer zone was planted with trees to protect the wetland;

After attending a training on Integrated Pest Man-agement that was organised by LVEMP II last year, I decided to uproot the poor quality banan-

as that occupied my plot and replace them with new, high productive banana varieties which, of course, I planted using the techniques I had learnt.

I have planted FIA 25 variety and looking at how the bananas are growing, I have no doubt that the pro-duction will be very high.

Before planting bananas on a large scale, I planted one seedling to test if these varieties are planted us-ing the learnt techniques can give us improved pro-duction . The result was amazing. The banana start I harvested was so big that two well-built men failed to lift it.

I am expecting to produce bananas of not less 100 kilograms each-which will surely improve my liveli-hoods.

The highly invasive and dangerous water hyacinth weeds were removed from Lake Rweru on a sur-face of 35.5 hectares;

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Matthias Sinzahera, Banana farmer & IPM Beneficiary

Cyprien Mudasubira, Farmer & Represen-tative of LVEMP II beneficiaries

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In Pictures...NTAC Members tour physical activities in Ngoma District

Before visiting physical activities, NTAC Members met with beneficiaries and other residents in Jarama sector to discuss the achievements and impact of the Project

The tour started with a visit to terraces. 140 hectares were terraced and valorised. Beneficiaries (Centre) joined the field visit

They also visited the protection of Rweru-Akagera Wetland Complex by the estab-lisment of a strong Buffer zone and removal of water hyacinth from Lake Rweru

The visit concluded with a visit to model plots which were developped by farmers after LVEMP II trained them in Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Despite heavy and constant rains, the NTAC Members endured and continued with the tour till the end

The 8th National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) Meeting of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project Phase Two (LVEMP II) was held in Ngoma District between April 22-24, 2015. It was an occasion for NTAC members to visit some of our physical activities and interact with beneficiaries. At the end of the tour, the Members said they were impressed by the achievements

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Lvemp II Rwanda Newsletter 4th Edition

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