Gicumbi, Rwanda - The hills of Gihuke are no longer barren and eroded but are now covered in coffee and tea plantations due to the Green GICUMBI Project which has transformed these once degraded lands into productive areas within six years since its launch. The Green GICUMBI Project provided jobs to tens of thousands of residents, increased household incomes, and improved the adaptive capacity of families living in the region from climate change impacts.
For one of the local farmers, Deo Habyarimana, his life has completely changed because of the project. "I never knew I could make a living from coffee," said Habyarimana, pointing to his newly planted coffee trees within the DUTUBURE KAWA GIHUKE Cooperative. "Today, I have completely changed my way of life because of the Green GICUMBI Project."
In 2019, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) gave $32 million in funding to support the project, which has resulted in over 32 billion Rwandan franc in investments for both environmental restoration and socioeconomic development in the Gicumbi District.
Before to the intervention, crops were devastated by continual landslides, torrential rains, and soil erosion, resulting in severe poverty for most farmers. Today, 40 hectares of upland coffee and 50 hectares of tea have been planted, utilizing terraces, agroforestry systems, and soil conservation techniques to stabilize slopes and improve yield potential.
Both coffee and tea farmers have reported very positive results. Habyarimana recently built a home valued at over 2 million Rwandan francs and used income from his first coffee harvest to send his children to school. In tea farming, farmers are now averaging more than 200 kg per hectare compared to previous averages of 50 kg due to improved soil retention and enhanced fertilizer efficiency.
The Green Gicumbi project has successfully impacted all nine sectors of the Muvumba watershed and achieved the following:
600 hectares of progressive terraces have been constructed
10,000 hectares of agroforestry trees have been planted
2,200 hectares of forest have been restored
31,000+ improved cook stoves have been distributed to rural families
99,000 jobs created, positively affecting 464,000 people
214,000 tonnes of carbon have been sequestered with the project
The project has further assisted rural families in developing climate-resilient infrastructures through the construction of model resettlement villages and installation of thousands of rainwaters harvesting systems to combat scarce water supplies.
Impact on a Large Scale
In addition to local successes, the project has affected growing areas in nine sectors of Gicumbi District: Rubaya, Cyumba, Kaniga, Mukarange, Rushaki, Shangasha, Manyagiro, Byumba and Bwisige all located in the Muvumba watershed.
Jean Marie Vianney Kagenza, Project Manager, said that by integrating income generation and climate change adaptation into one project, people in Gicumbi are becoming far more resilient both in terms of their environment and economically.
District Mayor Nzabonimpa Emmanuel remarked that "Green Gicumbi is a well-designed project, providing infrastructure and changing people's beliefs; helping farmers understand what climate change is, and how they can contribute to their own resilience".
As this six-year initiative grows closer to its conclusion, the former eroded hills of Gicumbi serve as examples of a nation that is embracing an overall climate-related goal of converting vulnerability into opportunity and converting fragile ecosystems into the foundation for growth.
Source: Umunota.com