February 4, 2025 – The Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB) has begun engaging local communities in the Village Land Use Action Plans as part of the Congo Nile Divide (CND) project. 

This project is aimed at enhancing the resilience of vulnerable communities to climate variability in Rwanda’s Congo Nile Divide region through forest and land restoration.

The Congo Nile Divide project, which covers an area of 444,600 hectares, seeks to mitigate the impacts of climate change by restoring both forests and land. The first phase of the project targets 60 villages in Karongi and Rutsiro Districts. 

Along with RWB, citizens from these areas have initiated dialogues to address the climate challenges affecting the region. 

Local residents proposed a range of solutions, including measures to control soil erosion, such as rainwater harvesting, and strategies for irrigation during the dry season. Reforestation efforts, as well as the development and stabilization of terraces, were also highlighted as key interventions.

The involvement of the Rwanda Water Resources Board in the project is crucial, as it focuses on two main areas: land restoration and soil erosion control. The first area includes restoring degraded gullies and protecting riverbanks, while the second focuses on stabilizing existing terraces, creating new radical terraces, and developing progressive terraces.

The Congo Nile Divide project is funded by the Green Climate Fund.

Through its role in land restoration and soil erosion control, the RWB emphasizes its mission to ensure sustainable water resources management, supporting long term environmental and social development in the Congo Nile Divide region.