Main Activities

This Agroforestry Action-Research project will be implemented mainly through 4 PhD fellowships provided to Rwandan Nationals who will conduct thematic research across the above-mentioned expected results of the project. These PhD research fellows will be seconded by a number of Master students (about 15 to 20) who will also conduct internship research on sub-themes in collaboration with the PhD fellows and their promoters. The developmental aspects of the project will be implemented and coordinated on field by the project management unit set up at both ENABEL and IUCN. These aspects include on field engagement of actors and on field services provision (through public contracts) to supplement and sustain the research outputs towards the project development outcome and impact.

 

The main activities to be carried out to achieve to the above-mentioned results

For result 1 the activities will include:

  • typology assessment of existing agroforestry systems and components;
  • assessment and characterization of existing agroforestry systems productivity;
  • assessment of the trees’ contribution to the conservation of biodiversity and support to ecological functions;
  • measurement of carbon sequestration potential across different agroforestry systems;
  • measurement and modelling of effects of trees on water balance in semi-arid landscapes;
  • assessment and modelling of microclimatic effects of the different agroforestry systems;
  • development of scenarios and simulation of trade-offs between various environmental and socio- economic benefits of different agroforestry

 

Under the result 2, the main activities will consist of:

  • identification and characterization of existing high nutritious (fruits /nuts/fodder) value chains;
  • the analysis of markets for selected potential fruits, nuts, and fodder value

 

Under result 3, key activities will focus on:

  • assessing the biomass fuel resource potential of the Eastern Province and Peri-Urban areas of Kigali city, as well as modelling the sustainable supply of biomass, with a particular emphasis on sourcing options for different types of biomass fuels;
  • inventory of existing improved cook stoves (ICS) technologies and characterization testing for efficiency, fuel consumption, health effects, cooking behavior, adaptability to locally available biomass and user acceptability;
  • Cost-benefit simulations of changes in ICS technologies at household level context;
  • technical assistance and financial support to individuals and SMEs to boost their expertise through iterative designs, testing and production of locally adapted ICS

 

For the result 4, key activities will consist in:

  • investigating the barriers and causes to low adoption of agroforestry by generating evidence on key drivers to low adoption, as well as assessing real needs and expectations of the farmers;
  • determine the economic household level benefit and costs associated with adoption of agroforestry under various scenarios while comparing with the non-adoption;
  • assess the willingness of farmers to pay for agroforestry ecosystem services (including both private household and societal benefits);
  • develop transformational mechanisms that incentivize farmers to adopt agroforestry systems;
  • on-farm testing and comparison of different agroforestry extension methods and

 

Under the result 5, the activities will focus on:

  • testing and adapting/improving the existing agroforestry monitoring and evaluation system in the country by involving and promoting active participation of all stakeholders including beneficiary farmer groups in the development of indicators, methods and monitoring tools;
  • building the capacity of farmers and value chain stakeholders to uptake and apply appropriate agroforestry principles and practices;
  • training the key public agency (central and local) staff involved in agroforestry extension service delivery, by involving them in analysis and testing of incentive mechanisms, and producing technical guidelines and manual on incentive mechanism implementation towards large scale of adoption of agroforestry;
  • improving the national capacity in ICS testing and standardization;
  • set up a national platform to improve the coordination of agroforestry research and resultant application of policy actions.