Gicumbi District advances vlimate change resilience through Green initiatives
The leadership of Gicumbi District celebrates the strides made in establishing initiatives to tackle climate change, acknowledging initial challenges in securing funding and changing community mindsets.
Gicumbi District Mayor, Emmanuel Nzabonimpa, highlighted the district’s hilly terrain, necessitating targeted land conservation measures such as afforestation to curb soil erosion and other infrastructure projects.
Key progress has been achieved in collaboration with the “Green Gicumbi” project, which focuses on reforestation, community education, tea cultivation on hillsides, and the preservation of the Muvumba catchment area, among other initiatives.
Jean Marie Vianney Kagenza, the head of the Green Gicumbi Project, reported that the project has played a pivotal role over the past five years in building resilience against climate change through various interventions.
Specifically, in sustainable forest management, the project rehabilitated 1,250 hectares of degraded forests and integrated agroforestry on over 7,400 hectares, which required substantial efforts, particularly in reshaping community attitudes.
In alignment with Rwanda’s national reforestation agenda, Green Gicumbi plans to plant 1,625,000 trees on 500 hectares of forests and integrate agroforestry on an additional 2,300 hectares this planting season. Notably, this marks the final planting season under the project’s timeline in the district.
Providence Nyiraneza, a resident of Manyagiro Sector, expressed gratitude for the free forest rehabilitation services and fruit trees provided, which she noted would combat soil degradation and improve child nutrition.
“We received free forest restoration services, modern settlements, and fruit trees. This initiative will not only protect our land but also ensure our children don’t suffer from malnutrition,” she remarked.
Ildephonse Kagwene from Byumba Sector praised the job opportunities created by the project, which have empowered residents economically while helping combat erosion on their farms. He expressed confidence that the community no longer fears heavy rains as their lands are now well protected.
Out of Gicumbi’s 21 sectors, nine have already benefited from the reforestation and land restoration efforts, with plans underway to extend these interventions to the remaining sectors. The ultimate goal is for Gicumbi District to achieve comprehensive resilience to climate change across its entire territory.
