Baseline scenario in Rulindo District, Rwanda

Rwanda’s dense and rapidly increasing population, the steep topography of the country with associated soil erosion, as well as unfavorable climatic conditions have caused significant forest, soil and water degradation, thereby threatening the productivity of the land. The government of Rwanda has recognized the risks posed by the degradation of its natural resources and has committed to restore large areas of degraded land in order to improve their ecological and economic productivity. In this context, Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) has been identified as one of the key approaches for sustainable land management and for the achievement of agricultural sustainability. 

To meet its restoration goals, the government of Rwanda is collaborating with various agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism of FAO (FLRM) has helped to facilitate establishment of integrated land-use planning and is supporting implementation of sustainable agriculture and the restoration of degraded landscapes in Rwanda’s Rulindo District. Regular monitoring of restoration interventions is critical to assess the effectiveness of the interventions and inform decision-making. In a bid to develop the capacity of communities and technical staff at sector and district level to monitor progress made in restoration, FAO introduced the Collect Earth tool, a free and open source software for land monitoring developed by the FAO with the expertise of Google.

A week-long intensive training and data-collection event — an exercise known as a  “mapathon” — in May 2018 drew 19 participants from Rulindo District, including the vice-mayor, the director of Once Stop Center (OSC) and the director of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Rulindo District, agronomists as well as several groups and enterprises active in the agri-food sector in Rulindo. During the mapathon, participants were trained by the FAO team to visually interpret satellite images and gather data through the Collect Earth survey cards for 2 285 plots. Participants used their familiarity with the landscape of the study area to better assess the status and trends of land and forest in Rulindo. 

Data were analysed using SAIKU, a free and open-source software that facilitates data visualization and querying, with results documented in a report. That report will provide the required baseline scenario of land use, tree cover and agroforestry against which restoration progress can be monitored. In addition, it can inform and guide current and future land use planning and development plans in the District of Rulindo in order to improve the quality of life of its citizens while respecting efficient use of the land.

For more information, contact [email protected]

 Anne Maud Courtois (FAO)