LVEMP II News
Rwanda
Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (Phase II) Quarterly Online Newsletter
Issue No 008 April-June 2016
Nurturing environment Champions
LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
Editorial Dear Readers, Welcome to the 8th edition of LVEMPII Rwanda Newsletter.
Content
This is yet another issue of our quarterly newsletter which brings you hands-on information about what we are doing for the protection of the Lake Victoria basin in Rwanda and the improvement of lives of communities who depend on the resources of the basin. Through our work, we target degraded hotspots in the basin and focus on priority areas for the benefit of communities, the country and the region in general. So far we have reached over 84 per cent of our watershed management target and we are on track to beat the targets on livelihoods improvement.
Communities: “We are committed to environment protection, better lives” .....................
This wouldn’t have been possible except for the ultimate support from our esteemed partners and stakeholders, including communities who directly depend on the basin resources. Their contribution to the achievements has been tremendous. To make sure that the community fully understands their roles and responsibilities in the management and protection of environment as well as implementation and safeguarding of LVEMP II investments, we regularly hold capacity building and mobilisation workshops for our beneficiaries. Such initiatives ensure that communities remain committed and dedicated to the protection of the resources they depend on and ensuring sustainability of investments made under the project. Of recent, we have trained communities in Bugesera and Karongi Districts, with a special focus on LVEMP II project and environment protection at large. We also looked at cooperative management to ensure that grants to Community Driven Development Sub-projects (CDDs) are well managed, well-used and ultimately lead to improved livelihoods. This newsletter discusses the capacity building programme at large. Another key highlight of this newsletter is about the launch of our website: www.lvemp2.rema.gov.rw. Through it we hope to remain in constant touch with you and ensure that information about our activities here in Rwanda can be accessed anytime and anywhere in the world with just a simple click.
World Bank concludes implementation support mission for LVEMP II Project ................. P8
Spot on Watershed Management ..................................
Connect with Us
We hope you will find this newsletter simple, friendly and informative and we look forward to your feedback.
www.lvemp2.rema.gov.rw
Enjoy the read. Emmanuella MUREKATETE Environment Specialist
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
We’re
Online!
Find more about our activities on www.lvemp2.rema.gov.rw We are happy to announce that LVEMP II has
gone online, with the launch of our dedicated website last June. Visit www.lvemp2.rema.gov.rw to learn more about the work of Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project, Phase II in Rwanda The online presence will further raise awareness about our work, ensure timely dissemination of information and encourage interaction and participation with and between our stakeholders, partners and the general public. The platform is also a one-stop source of information about our
work in Rwanda and a channel to document and disseminate our best practices Our website is available both in Kinyarwanda and English to help reach our diverse audiences. It’s also available on mobile devices. Through the webpage, you can read the latest news and access the recent videos and photos of our work in Rwanda. Don’t forget to give us feedback through our comments and contacts sections. Also download various documents related to our work; all that in a SIMPLE CLICK.
Below is a screen grab of the front page of the website, with latest updates:
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
Building communities committed to environment protection By investing in capacity building for communities living in target areas, LVEMP II seeks to encourage their active participation in the project implementation, rally their support for environment protection and improve the management of community Driven Development subprojects
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
Communities commit to champion environment protection
Communities in Bugesera District during the training
Members of community Driven Development subprojects vow to pull their skills, efforts and resources together in order to improve their livelihoods and protect the environment. They made the commitment following a two-days training on the community’s role in the LVEMP II project implementation, environment protection and the management of community groups and cooperatives. Over 300 members of community-driven development subgroups in Bugesera and Karongi Districts have so far benefited from the building capacity programme. Hundreds of others are also set to be reached in a drive that is set to cover the 12 Districts where watershed management activities are implemented Issue No 008 April-June 2016
Participants in the two-day training were drawn from ten Community-Driven Development Sub-projects (CDDs) groups in both Districts. The training covered different topics, including the work of Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project Phase Two (LVEMP II) and the role of communities in its implementation as well as environment protection, provisions of the environment law and the management of cooperatives so as to make them more productive . In Bugesera and Karongi Districts, participants in the training hailed the programme. Jonas Ngendahimana of Rweru Vegetable Cooperative said: “I learnt how proper management of cooperative can boost our income
and contribute to safeguarding the environment. That is something really interesting and beneficial.” “From this training, I am making two pledges: First it is ownership of all activities and investments made. Second, is much more commitment to our cooperative to ensure that we succeed in our endeavours and impact our lives altogether.” Jeanine Uwanyirigira, another participant said the training has equipped her with valuable skills to play her part in the cooperative. “This training was long overdue. We have learnt of new practices and experiences that will further improve our activities,” she said.
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
Voices from trainees:“We’re committed to environment protection” Irene MUKASHYAKA, Resident of Murambi Sector
SARAH USABYIMANA, Resident of Gashali sector & Member, Icyerekezo Cooperative After this training, we are not going to sit down and relax, but rather we are going to put what we learnt into practice. Our mindset has changed and we have a clear understanding of how things should be done to uplift our welfare. Personnally, I have resolved to stand up for our environment by reporting whoever destroys it. I will also encourage my neighbors so that they join us and altogether we work for better living conditions.
Our understanding on the benefit of working together has increased; we now know that it brings a lot of benefits. It is a way of ensuring that people bring together what they have for common benefits: the weaker and the stronger pull efforts, skills and resources together to uplift their living conditions. In addition, we also fully understand that safeguarding the investments made for the protection of Mashyiga Riverbanks will limit the risks of our land being flooded or being washed away.
CYRIAQUE MPORWIKI, Resident of Gashali & representative Dukore twita ku bidukikije Cooperative During this training we have learnt how cooperatives operate and the law governing them. For instance, we now understand that it is important for every cooperative member to give their shares. Most of us didn’t understand the rationale of paying the shares. Now we fully understand it. We thank LVEMP II Project and our leaders for their continued support to us; both in terms of money and capacity building.
Maria MUKANKAKA, Resident of Murambi sector, Karongi
On our part, we shall continue to safeguard investments made for the protection of environment, particularly the rehabilitation of Mashyiga Riverbanks. We shall continue to invest our efforts in environment protection and report whoever may attempt to damage it. To our neighbours who are yet to embrace environmentfriendly farming method, we will continue to educate them so that they too join this battle to safeguard our environment.
Our role in safeguarding the environment and the investments that have been made in this area is vital. That is something I have learnt from this training. I used to cut weeds and sometimes reeds to feed my cow, but from now on I will never do that again as I have understood that such practices could further damage our environment, and particularly Mashyiga River. Issue No 008 April-June 2016
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
The Trainings in pictures
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
World Bank concludes implementation support mission ahead of LVEMP II completion The World Bank implementation support mission for the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project Phase Two (LVEMP II) project took place from 08th to 17th June 2016. The Mission involved field visits for activities already ongoing and meetings with communities in intervention areas. The World Bank Team, lead by the Task Team Leader Mr Stephen Ling, visited the Project intervention areas where they toured physical investments and met the project beneficiaries to discuss its achievements.
The Team commended the progress made in the implementation of the project and provided useful recommendations to guide the implementation of remaining activities. The mission follows another such implementation support mission of the World Bank conducted mid last year. The Mission was conducted ahead of the LVEMP II Project completion. LVEMP II Project is expected to wind up its activities next year.
The team toured investments made in the protection of the Lake Victoria Basin in Rwanda and visited & interacted with communities in targeted areas Issue No 008 April-June 2016
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
CDDs target increases to 54 Subgroups The Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project Phase Two (LVEMP II) has revised its target on community livelihoods improvements. Instead of funding the implementation of 48 community-driven subprojects (CDDs) as initially planned in the Project Document, the Project is seeking to increase the target to at least 54 subgroups fully funded at its closure. To date, 23 CDDs are under implementation while another 23 are starting with their activities. The 8 new CDDs that are being initiated mean that upon completion in 2017, LVEMP II will have funded a total of 54 CDDs in 12 Districts. The groups are involved in various activities which include modern farming, animal husbandry, aquaculture and apiculture, among others Each CDDs subgroup is entitled to a grant of up to Rwf 20 millions depending on the nature of project they are implementing. Community Driven Development subprojects (CDDs) operate on the principles of transparency, participation, local empowerment, demand-responsiveness, greater downward accountability, and enhanced local capacity. Under this programme, LVEMP II supports the implementation of environmentfriendly, income generating projects that transform the livelihoods of community while reducing pres-sure on the natural resources of the Lake Victoria Basin. This is part of the project efforts to support life transformation through investment in income generating activities. Issue No 008 April-June 2016
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
Focus on Watershed Management Under the LVEMP II interventions in Rwanda, over 4241 hectares of land have been rehabilitated and 244 hectares of degraded wetlands restored in areas located in the Lake Victoria Basin in Rwanda. Our watershed management protectionwhich include establishing radical and progressive terraces on hillside areas, agroforestry, protection of riverbanks, lakes and wetlands, among others- focus on 12 priority District in the lake Victoria Basin in Rwanda. They are: Ngoma, Bugesera (East), Rulindo, Gakenke (North), Muhanga, Ruhango, Nyanza, Huye, Kamonyi, Nyamagabe (South), Ngororero and Karongi (West). In Rwanda, the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) is defined by the extent of the Akagera River catchment and covers an area of 21, 362 Km2 or 11% of the total area of the LVB Our focus is being put on land restoration, hillside protection, wetland rehabilitation, promotion of agro-forestry, and riverbanks protection for the benefits of communities in target areas. Issue No 008 April-June 2016
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
LVEMP II Result Indicators (As of August 2016) INDICATOR
TARGET
PROGRESS
Number of hectares under sustainable land management practices in the targeted subcatchments
5000 Ha
4241.7 Ha or 84% of the project target were rehabilitated and are under sustainable sustainable management including land on protected riverbanks and buffer zones, established radical and progressive terraces, water hyacianth removed from Lake Rweru and agro-forestry. However disasters, including floods and landslides, which affected parts of the country between April-June destroyed the project activities on 181.15 ha. Efforts are being made to replace them
4000
The number of direct project beneficiaries is 7327, exceeding the original target of 4,000. 36.9% of them are women
Target industries in the LVB adopting Cleaner Production Technologies
8
The target for 8 industries to adopt cleaner production techniques has already been exceeded. Currently, 25 Industries have adopted resource efficiency and cleaner production practices
Number of hectares of degraded wetlands restored and/or rehabilitated by communities in targeted sub-catchments
200 Ha
244 ha (122% of the target) of degraded wetlands have been restored and rehabilitated by communities in Rweru subcatchments. They include 144 ha rehabilitated on Rweru Wetland and water Hyacinth removal on Lake Rweru completed on 100 ha
Percent of community natural resource management subprojects whose implementation is rated satisfactory or better in the targeted sub-catchments
60%
23 Community Driven Development Subprojects (CDDs) are under implementation while another 23 are starting with their activities. 8 other CDDs are being initiated after being approved by the NTAC & NPSC Committees
Direct Project Beneficiaries
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LVEMP II Rwanda Quarterly Newsletter
This newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project Phase Two (LVEMP II), Rwanda Chapter
Connect with Us www.lvemp2.rema.gov.rw @lvemp2_Rwanda LVEMP2Rwanda LVEMP II Rwanda LVEMP II Rwanda
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