The project implemented from 2011 -2014
Districts of Bugesera, Kamonyi, Ngororero and Musanze
Target group: 250 families headed by Children and young people (CHH)
The major achievements over the lifetime of the project are three fold:
-CHH have increased their resilience to the effects of climate change on their livelihoods by improving their knowledge, know-how and capacity to prevent and resist the effects of floods, droughts, land degradation and climate change. The targeted CHH were involved in practical activities on their land. Specifically, contingency plans were developed which involved the following strategic activities: 1) Rain Water management 2) Soil protection and improvement 3) Tree planting (agroforestry and afforestation) 4) Energy saving practices 5) Introduction of high yield seeds and family grain storage and 6) Setting up community awareness committees. At the community level, the CHH have combined three actions to produce an quick impact: the rearing of small stock (goat and pig), the plantation of land protection trees which provides the feed to the animals while the animals provide organic manure to the crops, the plantation of fruit trees such as avocado, prunes, mangoes and oranges which provides fruits for the household consumptions
-This project was successful in engaging both civil society and policy makers in better understanding how and why climate change is impacting on the lives of poor people, resulting in changes of practices in the workplaces such as using network printers, replacing high energy lights with low energy lights, and then support the communities they work with in practical activities of adaptation such as tree planting, rain water chanelling and use in agriculture, installing energy saving stoves in their homes etc… The studies on existing policies and community practices in climate change adaptation and the carbon foot print study were opportunities to engage civil society and policy makers. One particular achievement was the development of a working partnership with the UNFCCC focal point and the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority.
-Finally, the project improved the understanding of the appropriateness of current responses to climate change within ACORD Rwanda’ staff and its partner organisations and a training module is available which can be used to reach additional partners.
