Conservation of Biodiversity and Natural Resources and Climate Protection by Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry at Cyamudongo Forest (Rwanda)

Cyamudongo is an area of montane rainforest in southwestern Rwanda. Although a key biodiversity area and protected as part of the Nyungwe National Park, the forest is threatened by unsustainable land use and advanced soil erosion. In light of this, the project helped the local population living on the periphery of the national park to transition to sustainable agroforestry and forest restoration. These measures helped to ensure security of supply for their food and power needs while avoiding land use pressure on the forest. Farmers who received project training were planting 1.5 million saplings in the forest periphery. The resulting agroforestry systems and woodlands avoided the need for further logging in Cyamudongo itself and also helped to integrate the forest with the adjacent main part of the national park. The project also helped to anchor the importance of conservation as a policy goal while offering recommendations for action, and helped to train rangers, conservation agency staff and students.

Project data

Countries: Rwanda
IKI funding: 2,297,722.50 €
Duration: 09/2016 till 03/2024
Status: completed
Implementing organisation: Universität Koblenz
Political Partner: Ministry of Environment - Rwanda

Rwanda Development Board (RDB)

Rwanda Water and Forestry Authority
Implementing Partner: Verein zur Förderung nachhaltiger Entwicklung in Ruanda e.V.
Online: https://www.uni-koblenz-landau.de/de/ruandazentrum

https://www.uni-koblenz-landau.de/en/rwandacenter/rwanda/research-and-projects/cyamudongo

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State of implementation/results

Project completed.
More than 13,000 women and men farmers have been trained in the villages of the project region. The percentage of trained women farmers was 46.5%.
By the end of the ninth planting season in the fall of 2021, more than 1.57 million tree seedlings have been planted and 6,385 hectares of agricultural land have been converted into agroforestry systems.
Results of the biodiversity survey at Ruhande Arboretum (Butare) were presented online at www.arboretum-ruhande.org.
On 09.12.2021 and 19.10.2022, the project organized meetings on "Taking Action in Conservation of Mountain Rainforests" to discuss project results and current challenges and solutions in rainforest conservation with representatives of national and international environmental and conservation organizations. The events contributed to the networking of stakeholders with the project and with each other.
Three former employees established two tree nurseries and a cooperative in the project region to continue supplying the population with tree seedlings for agroforestry areas. The resources provided by the project at the beginning enabled a successful start of seedling production and all three had orders from local stakeholders for the next planting seasons, securing their longer-term work.
A workshop was held on 30.08.2023 with representatives from local partner agencies to present and discuss final project results and gather feedback on project implementation.
A workshop to hand over and discuss the project results with the national partners followed on 10.10.2023. The feedback to the project team was very positive and the partners were open to the recommendations for action presented and further cooperation.

Latest Update:
12/2024