An eco-friendly marshland development project, worth Rwf744.3 million of which at least 70 per cent will be provided by Rwanda Environment and Climate Fund (FONERWA), is expected to increase rice production in Rusuli marshland in Huye District.

The investment climate resilience project was inspected Tuesday by the Minister for Natural Resources, Vincent Biruta, while assessing the progress of projects supported by FONERWA in Southern province.

"We set up the green fund to build climate resilience. Keep up the great work and continue to protect the Rusuli Marshland area even when the project is completed,” Biruta told the residents.

The project duration is 20 months and is being implemented by German Welthungerhilfe (WHH) in partnership with Huye District, Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) and Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA).

The project currently has a nursery of 260,000 trees that will be planted to boost soil conservation.

It targets to increase rice production to 660 tonnes per year from the current 30 tonnes while 30km of water channels, 13km of access roads, 85 bridges and4 rice drying platforms will be constructed.

The number of families using adequate water management systems is also expected to increase from 30 to 700 by the end of the project, the plan indicates.

Beneficiaries are poor people, and those with special technical skills will receive plots for rice production.

Besides the common problems of inadequate water control, poor organisation and inappropriate farming systems, the agricultural production in the swamp is at risk of decline due to increasing effects of climate related hazards such as frequent high intensity rains and floods and siltation from the unprotected (mostly steep) hillsides .

The Rusuli marshland occupies about 120 hectares. It was being used by about 30 farmers on an occasional basis, but with very limited production levels. It will allow 700 farmers to produce rice depending on their levels of poverty.

Officials say marshland development presents an opportunity to ensure food security and economic growth in Rwanda which needs sustainably balanced socio-economic and ecological use of marshlands.

It is part of the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) that is regarded as an important tool for ensuring food security and economic growth and thus a central component in the strategy to build resilience to climate change.

Farmers will be supported in establishing mechanisms and routines of saving a part of the money paid through the implementation, triggering the generation of additional off-farm activities and small businesses.

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