1. Enhancing community resilience in Lake Cyohoha
Catchment, Bugesera Region (Burundi/Rwanda)
Prepared for presentation during the WACDEP Global Technical
Coordination Workshop-Tuesday 24 June 2014
by
Patrick SAFARI ,
Regional Coordinator, GWP Eastern Africa

2. Outline
1. Background
2. The process
3. Learning points
4. Summary

3. WP1: Kagera
Basin-
LVBC/EAC
Burundi and Rwanda
WP2: National Plans
WP3: Investment strategies
WP4: Investment projects
WP5: Bugesera
region:
L. Cyohoha
catchment-demo.
WP6&7: K and CB (community management, local adaptation, participatory processes)
WP8: Partnership Building /water governance (CWPs, Catchment, community)
1. Background: Water, Climate and Development Program (WACDEP)
in EnA Region

4. 2.1.The Process: Identifying challenges:
Why interventions?
Water pollution
Encroaching
lake shore/
wetlands
Poor
agricultural
practices,
over grazing
Poor access to
water supply
Water scarcity
Shortage of
fuel wood
Deforestation
/ soil erosion
Poverty
High
Population
growth
Poor community
structures
Poor access to social
services and
infrastructure
Seasonal
Drought, floods

5. Burundi
Rwanda
0 25 50 75 10012.5
Kilometers
µ
Legend
Country Boundary
Lake Cyohoha
CatchmentLegend
Cyohoha catchment
Countries 0 3 6 9 121.5
Kilometers
·
Burundi
Rwanda
508 km2
369 km2 in Bu
139 km2in Rw
lake is like a river of 27 km long and 0.5 to 2 km wide. It branches up to 9 km long
The lake Cyohoha is separated from the river Akanyaru by a broadband swamps.
2.2.The Process: Detail Situational Analysis-a
Defining hydrological boundary as a unit of analysis, planning and
management: L. Cyohoha catchment:

6. Hydrologist/Hydrogeologist, Environmentalist/
watershed management expert/ forester/ wetland
ecologist, Agriculture expert, Socio-economist,
Gender Expert, GIS Expert
Multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach
Bu-Rw Team for Situational Analysis in L. Cyohoha catchment
2.2.The Process: Detail Situational Analysis-b
Technical Analysis by Joint (Bu-Rw) Team of Experts

7. Hydro-climatic and environmental data
– Climate –temperature, rainfall
– Hydrology: surface water, groundwater?, water uses (abstraction for
drinking, irrigation),
– Topography-slope classes
– Land use/land cover
– Soils
Socio-economic data
– Population, human settlement, Gender
– Social services-health, water supply, education, market, energy use
– Infrastructre-road, telephone, electricity, communication, bank
– Economic activities, Employment-agri
– Institutions-farmers’ organizations
2.2.The Process: Detail Situational Analysis-b
Technical Analysis by Joint (Bu-Rw) Team of Experts

8. Participatory process during situational analysis
• history of drought/flood hazards, changes in rainfall seasons,
• local knowledge systems, local coping mechanisms, community
structures
• Source of household energy, accessing it and challenges
2.2.The Process: Detail Situational Analysis-c
Awareness raising, sensitization, participatory analysis

9. Frequent drought/flood hazards, changes in
rainfall seasons,

11. A. Environmental degradation: Differences in enforcing policies/laws
affecting shared systems, Weak community structures/capacities
2.2.The Process: Detail Situational Analysis-d
Analyzing problems/challenges and hot spots
• Drought and flood prone areas
• conflicts over use of resources
• water scarcity
• Lack of fuel wood
• degraded catchments
• Erosion, deforestation
degraded wetlands Pollution

12. 3. Poor access to safe drinking water
2.2.The Process: Detail Situational Analysis-d
Analyzing problems/challenges and hot spots
2. Traditional cookers and lack of fuelwood

13. 2.3.The Process: prioritizing interventions/–based on the
situational analysis, joint review and consultations with
stakeholders

14. Lesson 1: Participatory process: understanding the community needs
The approach should be integrated, participatory and owned by communities:
 Integrated within a hydrological boundary
 Integrated to satisfy communities’ multiple needs-water as entry point
 Integrated to the local government development plans
 Participation and ownership by communities & other stakeholders ….sustainability
3. Learning Points

15. Lesson 2: establish/ strengthen partnership for
implementation frameworks

16. Summary of priority interventions-1
Priority Interventions Mechanism for implementation
Water: Extending water supply
systems to communities
Work with partners-Utility, local
government
Private suppliers/contactors
Energy: Introduce improved
cooker stoves, biogas
Work with partners-CONCERN
Community groups/associations
(Women groups)
Private suppliers/contractors
Food security: new agronomic
practices
Work with partners-Local Govt. office
Community groups/associations
Environment: Lake Cyohoha buffer
zone protection,
Upper catchment protection
Work with partners-RENGOF,
Community Associations, Youth Group

17. Priority Interventions Mechanism for
implementation
Strengthen/establish Community structures for
managing/producing:
• water points
• improved cook stoves
• seedlings,
• Parts of the catchment: buffer zone, sub-catchment
• L.Cyohoha catchment
• Stakeholders’ platforms
Work with partners-Local
Govt., NGOs, Community
Groups/Associations, Private
suppliers/contractors
Awareness raising, CB, training on:
• Challenges: environmental degradation, climate
change, water scarcity, energy security
• Water and other NR management: importance,
ownership and participation
• Community structures
• New approaches, methods, technologies,
management
Work with partners-Local
Govt., NGOs, Community
Groups/Associations, Private
suppliers/contractors
Summary of priority interventions-2

18. Priority Interventions Mechanism for
implementation
Strengthen information systems
• Baseline and updated state of the
environment/NRs
• Community M&E systems
• Local early warning systems
• Community exchange programs-
community-to-community learning
Work with partners-Local
Govt., NGOs, Community
Groups/Associations,
Private
suppliers/contractors
Developing L. Cyohoha catchment integrated
management plan
Summary of priority interventions-3

19. KAMPEKA
TUNDA
BURENGE
BIHARAGU
NYAKAYAGA
Kiri
Rugasa
Kigoma
Gitwe
Kiyonza
Nyamabuye
Rubuga
Kigina
Nyakarama
Gaturanda
Nyabikenke
30°10'0"E30°5'0"E30°0'0"E
2°20'0"S 2°20'0"S
2°25'0"S 2°25'0"S
2°30'0"S 2°30'0"S
2°35'0"S 2°35'0"S
·
0 2.5 5 7.5 101.25
Kilometers
Legend
Lake Cyohoha
Cyohoha Catchment
Prioritized Intervention Area (Burundi)
Prioritized Intervention Area (Rwanda)
Country Boundary
Rwanda
Burundi
Lake Cyohoha
Lake Cyohoha catchment-priority areas and interventions
• Watershed
management
• Rainwater
harvesting
• Buffer zone
management
• Biogas
• Improved cook-
stoves
• Water supply
Biogas
Water
supply
Buffer zone management

21. Interventions at community level
should:
• Consider the local context,
challenges and priorities
(communities and ecosystems).
• Use both modern (hydro-climatic)
information and local knowledge
• linked and contribute to socio-
economic needs of communities
• Contribute to strengthening
Community structures and building
their capacities
Lesson 3: Participatory process: addressing the
the community needs

22. Lesson 4: engaging local media for raising community
Training and informing media to inform the public

23. Lesson 5: Linking policy with practices
Differences in enforcement of national environmental laws resulted in
differences in the level of degradation of the same system-L.Cyohoha Catchment

24. Lesson 6 : Political support and buy-in

26. Political support for WACDEP during WACDEP
Coordination meeting in Kigali

27. Buy-in and appreciation of WACDEP by Nile TAC-COM
Meeting in Kharthoum on 19-20 June 2014

28. Summary of major challenges
N challenges Actions taken
1 Managing expectations:
• Policy/practices
• National/local level
• High expectations by communities
and local government for quick
investments on the ground
 Using demonstrations to
influence both policy & practices
2 Differences in national policies and their
enforcements
 Facilitate experience sharing to
influence law enforcement
3 Unilateral thinking vs. trans boundary
nature of the systems
 More stakeholders' consultation,
awareness raising
4 Engaging stakeholders in WACDEP
activities (key sectors), including
political buy-in
 workshops, bilateral meetings and
providing WACDEP awareness
packages
 designating focal points for WACDEP
in respective key sectors

29. • Investing in WRM (at community level) is an important
adaptation strategy
• WACDEP is supporting demonstration of interventions for
water security and climate resilience at community level,
and the on-going processes are providing some lessons
• There is a need to develop bigger investment projects
based on demonstrations for scaling-up beyond the
target communities
• Future programs may consider the lessons from on-going
processes and experiences
3. Summary/Conclusion

30. WRM approach : recommended as a tool for building
resilience to climate change in Lake Cyohoha Catchment
Stakeholders
participation
Water
Allocation
Pollution
Control
Information
Management
systems
Financial
MechanismFlood & Drought
Management
systems
Basin
Planning
Monitoring
mechanism
INTEGRATED
WATER and
NATURAL
RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT IN
LAKE CYOHOHA
CATCHMENT

31. THANK YOU!