Known for the beauty of its green hills and abundant bodies of water, the large rift lakes region of eastern Africa is shared among the countries of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Uganda. The waters of this region support fishing, farming, and transport for rapidly growing human populations.
In Burundi and Rwanda, one lake sustains people from both sides of the political border between the two countries, a border that over the past 25 years has seen political upheaval and conflict bring new people to unfamiliar territory. Lake Cyohoha’s transboundary catchment, located in the Bugesera region shared by Burundi and Rwanda, became the site of many unplanned settlements, and its once green forests almost disappeared after years of harvesting the trees for charcoal cooking fuel, and clearing of land for cultivated crops and more grazing. Cooling wetlands, forests, and savanna woodlands were transformed into many small farming plots that could not sustain traditional woodlots. Drought added to problems of soil erosion, water pollution, and water scarcity. In 2000, the northern part of the lake dried completely. And when some water returned, invasive water hyacinth began clogging the lake.
Bringing back to life
Lake Cyohoha’s losses and the increasing poverty of the people on both sides of the border appeared to be difficult problems to address because the area is governed by two different sets of national laws. In 2012, encouraged by the GWP Country Water Partnership Fora, the governments of the two countries agreed to partner within WACDEP to carry out an in-depth analysis of the issues and come up with interventions that would work towards restoring the lake’s environment.
Results of the review, shared with community representatives, local government offices, NGOs, and policy-makers at national level, included approval of activities to protect buffer zones along the shorelines of Lake Cyohoha through tree planting, introduction of fuel saving cooking stoves, and adoption of biogas and solar energy as reliable and climate resilient sources of energy for cooking and lighting. Whole communities engaged in planting drought-resistant trees to curb soil erosion and to provide future harvests for the young people and women who were especially included in the programme’s work. Ongoing watering, mulching, and replacement of dead trees was built into the programme, and nurseries were set up to train local communities to plant trees on their own plots of land. Ten thousand fruit trees were distributed at household level, and communities were informed about the consequences of allowing cattle to graze in the buffer zone. Teams were also mobilised to clear water hyacinth, allowing the lake to breathe again.
Clean Cooking
To sustain this effort, the programme encouraged local associations for protection of the buffer zone, and progressive ownership and maintenance of the area by local community committees under the guidance of local administrations. As cutting trees for firewood and charcoal was identified as one of the major contributors to soil erosion, local women were trained in producing improved cooking stoves that they could sell for additional income. A demonstration project also introduced biogas production from cow dung, and introduction of stoves to burn the gas.
In a dry climate, finding ways to avoid over-use of vital wetland resources requires a combination of clear policy, awareness-building, and alternative resources. Acting through this project, WACDEP worked towards all of these for the Lake Cyohoha catchment.
Afforestation
Government planners and managers gained knowledge and skills in enhancing climate change resilience in the water sector and integrating it into existing policy frameworks. The interventions in Rwanda are now considered as integral parts of the Bugesera District Development Plan, and, in both countries, the project was implemented within existing national frameworks for climate change adaptation and water resources management. Engaging communities in returning trees to the shoreline and surrounding land both helped local people learn about conservation agriculture and supported the Burundi Government’s goal of 18 percent forest cover by 2025 to increase resilience to climate change. Improved stoves and access to biogas provided both alternative technology and options for economic improvement.
Working together to bring back trees to the catchment, the two countries have prepared the way for more sustainable management practices and climate change adaptation.
Photo: WACDEP Officers in the field to support and document the planting of 10 000 seedlings to protect the Lake Cyohoha buffer zone in Kigali, 9 March 2016. Credit: GWP Eastern Africa.