Soil conservation, restoration and erosion control experts have suggested the establishment of demonstration plots in villages across the country that could help educate farmers on controlling soil erosion, starting with districts that are most vulnerable.

Demonstration plots are farmer-owned and farmer-managed plots of land used by village-based extension agents, village agricultural extension officers or lead farmers as a platform for training farmers on good practices.

They also suggested mobilising finance from different sources of funding, apart from the national budget, to be able to design projects for intervening in providing solutions which local residents could not afford.

The recommendations follow a report dubbed ‘The State of Soil Erosion Control in Rwanda,’ which found that more than 745,000 hectares of agricultural land in Rwanda potentially loses its topsoil every year as the country loses more than Rwf800 billion annually due to soil erosion.

Pamela Ruzigana, the Catchments Restoration and Erosion Control Division Manager at the Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB) told The New Times that the top causes of soil erosion include deforestation and vegetation clearance.

"Besides deforestation, the soil is not covered by any vegetation in some areas. Agricultural activities are not complying with erosion control measures. For instance contour banks need to be protected. Otherwise it leads to soil erosion when it heavily rains after harvesting,” she said.

She added that settlements without facilities that do not retain or drain rainwater, mining are among the leading causes of soil erosion.

"Human activities are not sustainable and people have limited skills in using and conserving land. There is a need for awareness and education campaigns with joint efforts of different institutions including private sector and civil society organisations,” she noted.

She added that owners of land should play a big role by using techniques that are affordable and friendly, "For instance progressive terraces are easily applied. They do not require high cost and techniques.”

Ruzigana said that the government budget should focus more on agro-forestry seedlings to be planted where terraces are constructed as it required high financial capacity.

 "The budget allocated to soil erosion control is still limited but more projects are in the pipeline to intervene where there are no projects already being implemented. There is a need to continue mobilising resources because national budget is not enough,” she said.

The study disclosed that there is a need for over Rwf500 billion to control soil erosion in areas that are at risk.

Elisa Tumwesigye, CEO of Social Actions for Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation organisation, made the case for demonstration plots to serve as models in villages on how residents can control soil erosion on their own land.

"The country is losing fertile soil and farmers need to be educated on how to retain such fertility. This is because most of the time they are not aware that the soil is being washed away,” he said, adding that the government can increase budget in forestation and agro-forestry which are costly.

"Where we are operating, we realised farmers had no skills to do what they are capable of doing but also some  lack financial capacity to even do what they know though it is not affordable,” Tumwesigye said, adding that soil erosion is affecting biodiversity leading to loss of some plant and animal species.

"Hence, finance is needed to scale up successful projects on erosion control. We will soon execute a project in Bugesera district to train farmers on conservation agriculture to prevent soil erosion that is polluting Lake Cyohoha,” he said.

Breaking down numbers on soil erosion status

At national level, land at risk of soil erosion is over one million hectares or 45 percent of the total country land.

The country is losing 25 tonnes of topsoil per hectare every year which translates into 27 million tonnes of topsoil lost every year.

At provincial level, land at risk of soil erosion is about 187,165 hectares or 59 percent of the total Northern Province land.

The total land at high risk of erosion in Western Province is about 261,542 hectares or 54 percent of the total province land.

The total land at high risk of erosion in Southern Province is about 311,116 hectares equivalent to 56 percent of the total province land.

The total land at high risk of erosion in Eastern Province is about 261, 166 hectares equivalent to 29 percent of the total province land.

The total land at high risk of erosion in the City of Kigali is about 39, 179 hectares or 54 percent of the total City of Kigali.

At district level, Ngororero has the highest risk with a total of 58,003 hectares i.e. 85 percent of its land at high erosion risk.

Muhanga district is ranked the second-highest in erosion risk with 53, 352 hectares under risk (82 percent of the district land) while Rutsiro district comes third with 48,143 hectares prone to erosion estimated at 73 percent of the district land.

Other districts such as Karongi, Gakenke, Huye, Nyaruguru, Rulindo and Nyamagabe districts need considerable attention as the risk accounts for more than 60 percent of the district land.