At least 200 vulnerable families are set to benefit from a new model village in Nyabihu District, whose construction was launched on Saturday to ensure the families are relocated from high-risk zones.

The Rwf1.6 billion village will be constructed through a project dubbed, "Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change in north-western Rwanda through Community Based Adaptation (RV3CBA),” under the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The model village, which is expected to be completed by March next year, is being constructed in Kabyaza Cell in Mukamira Sector.

Prime Ngabonziza, the project coordinator, said the model village will change lives of beneficiaries as they will no longer suffer from effects of climate change and will live a different life since they will be given cows that will be reared in communal cowsheds to facilitate bio-gas energy generation.

The homes will be installed with solar energy.

"Four families will have a shared biogas and will have a common modern cowshed for their animals, the houses will also have a kitchen garden and a trees which will give them fruits to fight malnutrition,” Ngabonziza said

The construction of model villages is part of the project’s various works to increase the adaptive capacity of natural systems and communities living in flood-prone areas in Musanze and Nyabihu districts of Northern and Western provinces, respectively.

The area, being part of volcanic regions and other factors that exacerbate the effects of intense rainfall leading to the flooding has been affected by climate change.

The project is expected to restore the ecosystem functions necessary to reduce the incidence and harshness of flooding and landslides on local communities and resources, according to the officials.

The project will also put in place flood control measures, build the capacity of farmers to adapt to climate change unpredictability and support the development of off-farm livelihood to reduce the pressure of natural resources.

Residents and local leaders hailed the construction of the model village, saying it would save many whose lives were likely to be affected by climate change effect.

"Our farms have been affected by the floods and we have suffered from hunger, the project will help some of us get decent homes. We are also happy that we will acquire skills to build our capacity in farming and know how to deal with climate change,” said Julienne Benda, one of the residents from high-risk zones.

"We are grateful for the government support in the fight against erosion; we are optimistic that the houses to be constructed will be an answer to homeless people due to floods, we are also happy that some of us will be employed in construction process while others will participate in other income generating activities of the project,” she added.

While people who will relocate from high risk areas to the modern houses upon completion are yet to be identified, the Minister for Natural Resources, Dr Vincent Biruta, urged local leaders and residents to play an impartial role in selection of beneficiaries.

"We appeal to residents and local leaders to exhibit objectivity in selecting those who will benefit, despite being desired by many, the homes must go to the most needy,” Biruta said.

The project is expected to restore the ecosystem functions necessary to reduce flooding and landslides, he added.

Officials say the project will deal with flood control measures, building the capacity of farmers to adapt to climate change unpredictability and supporting the development of off-farm livelihood to reduce the pressure on natural resources.

The RV3CBA is a four-year project which started two years ago and operates in seven sectors of Nyabihu and one sector of Musanze.

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