A major climate resilience initiative in Kamonyi District is making rapid headway, bringing sustainable land management and reliable water access to the Kayumbu watershed. Implemented by ARDE/KUBAHO with financial backing from the Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA), the ambitious two-year project titled “Enhancing resilience to climate change for food security, livelihoods improvement and sustainable land use management of Kayumbu watershed” is rapidly transforming the local landscape.
Work across the watershed is progressing smoothly, with a major focus on the newly constructed infrastructure. The project’s cornerstone irrigation mechanism is now operational: an intake structure collects water directly from the river, routing it into a centralized sump. From there, a solar-powered motor pump pushes the water up the hill into a holding dam, which then feeds gravity-driven distribution networks to the surrounding hillside fields.
While local farmers have not yet begun planting, the completed infrastructure means agricultural production is on the verge of launching. Once crops are in the ground, the system will support year-round farming across 10 hectares of marshland, protecting farmers from unpredictable rainfall patterns.
Key Targets & Scope
-
140 Hectares: Progressive terraces constructed and maintained to stop severe soil erosion on steep slopes.
-
10 Hectares: Marshland served by the newly installed solar irrigation infrastructure.
-
30,000 Trees: Planted across the watershed, comprising 25,000 agroforestry trees for soil health and 5,000 fruit trees for community nutrition and income.
By combining sustainable soil conservation with solar-powered water delivery, the initiative is setting up local farmers for long-term food security and climate-resilient livelihoods as full planting approaches.
