Success factors and Challenges to enhancing rural community resilience to drought

Success factors and Challenges to enhancing rural community resilience

to drought

Case study in Bugesera, Rwanda

Young Researchers Meeting, June 2016 in Gothenburg

Lazare Nzeyimana, PhD CandidateLinköping University SWECO Environment AB, Stockholm

I. BackgroundBy 2025, 1,8 billion will be living in regions with absolute water scarcity and 2/3 of the population in regions under water stress (FAO, 2007; Verma et al., 2004)On a global scale, agriculture is the most important water user which calls for new water management approaches (Sullivan, 2002)In Sub-Saharan Africa, rain-fed agriculture is the main livelihood source (FAO/NEPAD, 2002; Diao et al., 2007)Community-based soil and water conservation skills are being promoted to increase drought resilience (Foti et al, 2008)

Drought is of global concern for society but it originates as a local problem

East-Africa Australia

Early Warning Systems Water Conservation Technologies

Understanding Drought Resilience

But if we have Early Warnings and Water Conservations systems– How can that information and

knowledge be used on local, regional and national level?

What is missing to engage rural communities to become drought resilient?

Limited numbers of published scientific papers addressing the challenge to enhancing rural community resilience to drought

Most studies analyse the potential of water conservation initiatives and argue on their added-value in society

II. Current research and knowledge gaps

Resilience

Gaps to be analyzed

Empowerment (knowledge) Social networks Markets Powers and influence Gender Land tenure Horizontal and vertical communications Information sharing

Facts on Bugesera district- Area:1337 km2

- Population: 363 339- Temp: 20-30oC- Prec: 600-800 mm/yr

Bugesera region, Rwanda (Google Maps)

II. Study area - Bugesera (Rwanda)

o High frequency of rainfall deficit and late rainfall onsets,

o early rainfall cessations

o a significant number of dry spells and

o is prone to drought

Rwanda Disaster Risk Atlas (2014)

Rainwater ponds

Farmer Field

School

III. Research goals Assess success and limiting factors

to water conservation systems Map the vulnerability to drought in

Bugesera and capitalize the farmers adaptive strategies

Identify loopholes in Rwanda Climate policies

Discuss future scenarios Identify challenges and

opportunities for successful water conservation system and resilience

IV. Methods Literature review (globally and Sub-Saharan

Africa) Semi-structured interviews, field observation,

participatory vulnerability mapping Policy analysis, Focus Groups and Review key

documents Field observations, workshops, participatory

scenario, GIS, modelling backcasting (future visioning)

Developing a conceptual framework integrating up-taking and community resilience

Thank you very much