The government has identified 311,000 hectares of land that needs restoration in the volcanic region as part of efforts to revitalize soil fertility.
Seven districts in the northwestern part of the country are prone to severe erosion due to steep terrain and heavy rainfall.
According to Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB), integrated catchment management studies have identified up to 311,000 hectares across the volcanic region that need restoration and specific rehabilitation measures.
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The restoration is part of the five-year Volcanoes Community Resilience Project, which focuses on the districts of Musanze, Burera, Gakenke, Rubavu, Nyabihu, Ngororero, and Muhanga.
It is multi-agency project coordinated by the Ministry of Environment. Rwanda Development Board (RDB), and the Ministry of Emergency Management.
RWB reports that about half of the target area requires urgent interventions to address land degradation, reduce surface runoff, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Constructing radical terraces and planting bamboo trees along gullies are among the ongoing activities aimed to slow down water runoff from the steep slopes, which frequently causes deadly floods in the lowlands.
The recovery of land also goes along with the introduction of climate-smart agricultural practices, providing livestock for manure and creation of green jobs in tourism and conservation within the communities of the affected districts.
The Ministry of Emergency Management estimates Rwf76 billion worth food crops lost annually due to soil erosion and flooding across the country.
In Nyabihu District, which is home to over 300,000 people, the project is anticipated to improve the livelihoods of these communities that are affected by floods and landslides.
"Our region is also undergoing climate change like other regions which why we believe that our population must understand that climate has changed," said Antoinette Mukandayisenga, mayor of the district.
"We have intensified efforts to increase both radical and progressive terraces to protect the land," she said, noting that the VCRP project will contribute to efforts to curb floods from volcanic mountains.
"This will support a range of activities to adapt the climate change by reducing the risks of flooding in the project area,” noted Pamela Ruzigana, Manager of the Catchment Restoration and Erosion Control Division at RWB.
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Local residents in Musanze District, like Vincent Makuza, 55, narrated how heavy rains have been challenging, leading to losses and reduction of harvest.
"Heavy rains have always been a problem for us, destroying our maize plantation," he said.
Makuza believes that curbing floods and responding to climate change will support farmers address the key challenges within the agriculture sector.