Agricultural and Environmental Management Project

Agricultural and Environmental Management Project

In the Kagera area, an influx of 600,000 refugees, a near 40 per cent increase in the population, had adverse effects on local resources and living conditions. It worsened already declining soil fertility and agricultural productivity. It depleted vegetative cover on erosion-susceptible lands. The supply of safe drinking water became increasingly scarce. Pressure on local health services increased, and infrastructure, such as rural and village access roads, deteriorated.

Emergency assistance was already being provided by IFAD and the Belgian Survival Fund Joint Programme, among others> It had to be supplemented by extended investment and more effective services to protect family livelihoods and enable regional and district agencies to cope with the various problems.

The goal of the project was to rehabilitate the region affected by refugee encroachment, and reverse the long-term decline of agricultural production. Specific objectives were to:

• improve household food production and incomes in a sustainable manner
• support improved environmental management through tree planting and water hyacinth control
• improve access to safe drinking water supplies and health facilities, and road access to villages
• strengthen the capacity of district departments and assist in development of a participatory approach to resource management

Source: IFAD