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Land
Land is the basis for agriculture and rural livelihoods.Rwanda relay on Land as natural resource to provides the base for survival of living beings. Excluding lakes and rivers, Land covers total area of 24,801 km² with an average altitude of 1,250 meters in Rwanda
Looking at the period from 2010 to 2015, the greatest change was in loss of sparse forest coupled with an increase in annual crop land, open grass land, and open shrub land. This continues a long-term trend in Rwanda as more land has been brought under cultivation at the expense of remaining lightly forested areas, potentially contributing to runoff and soil loss. However, the area of closed grass land, shrub land and perennial crop land also increased over this period, possibly indicating an increase in trees on farms and in agricultural landscapes, as communities reclaim degraded areas, plant trees, and engage in agroforestry. There are six categories that make up 98 % of land use. The remaining seven land use categories are grouped into “others.” These “other” seven land uses represent only 2.2 % of all land uses, including: Administrative, Commercial, Economic, Fishing, Research/ Scientific, Social and Culture, and Tourism
The Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda recognizes state and private property and grants every citizen the right to private property, whether held individually or in association with others. The state has the authority to grant rights to land, including private ownership rights and to establish laws governing land acquisition, transfer, and use. State land is classified as public or private where public land cannot be alienated.
Description and Facts
Rwanda’s hilly topography makes it vulnerable to both soil erosion and landslides. The likelihood of landslides is further worsened by the country’s exposure to flooding. Despite such vulnerability, the country’s land assets are the most valued for food production and personal wealth. Household land ownership for agriculture is small at 0.76 ha and getting even smaller and fragmented. At current levels of food production per unit area and an expanding population, Rwanda needs land that is four times the country size to meet its food demands by 2050. As this option is not realistic, the other option is to increase food production by 15 times on the same piece of land. Such intensive farming is not only impracticable, but also exposes the land to various forms of degradation, including soil erosion and soil acidification
Rwanda has a small surface area, steep, hilly terrain, and very high population density (about 414people/km2, based on population data from the Rwanda Poverty Profile Report (NISR 2015) and area data from the Land Administration Information System. The high population density and the country’s reliance on agriculture for livelihoods is a key issue for management and conservation of land and watersheds. Unsustainable farming practices on steep slopes and deforestation have resulted in extensive erosion and siltation, compromising the ecosystem services critical for Rwanda’s food and energy
Looking at the period from 2010 to 2015, the greatest change was in loss of sparse forest coupled with an increase in annual crop land, open grass land, and open shrub land. This continues a long-term trend in Rwanda as more land has been brought under cultivation at the expense of remaining lightly forested areas, potentially contributing to runoff and soil loss. However, the area of closed grass land, shrub land and perennial crop land also increased over this period, possibly indicating an increase in trees on farms and in agricultural landscapes, as communities reclaim degraded areas, plant trees, and engage in agroforestry. There are six categories that make up 98 % of land use. The remaining seven land use categories are grouped into “others.” These “other” seven land uses represent only 2.2 % of all land uses, including: Administrative, Commercial, Economic, Fishing, Research/ Scientific, Social and Culture, and Tourism
The Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda recognizes state and private property and grants every citizen the right to private property, whether held individually or in association with others. The state has the authority to grant rights to land, including private ownership rights and to establish laws governing land acquisition, transfer, and use. State land is classified as public or private where public land cannot be alienated.
Looking at the period from 2010 to 2015, the greatest change was in loss of sparse forest coupled with an increase in annual crop land, open grass land, and open shrub land. This continues a long-term trend in Rwanda as more land has been brought under cultivation at the expense of remaining lightly forested areas, potentially contributing to runoff and soil loss. However, the area of closed grass land, shrub land and perennial crop land also increased over this period, possibly indicating an increase in trees on farms and in agricultural landscapes, as communities reclaim degraded areas, plant trees, and engage in agroforestry. There are six categories that make up 98 % of land use. The remaining seven land use categories are grouped into “others.” These “other” seven land uses represent only 2.2 % of all land uses, including: Administrative, Commercial, Economic, Fishing, Research/ Scientific, Social and Culture, and Tourism
The Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda recognizes state and private property and grants every citizen the right to private property, whether held individually or in association with others. The state has the authority to grant rights to land, including private ownership rights and to establish laws governing land acquisition, transfer, and use. State land is classified as public or private where public land cannot be alienated.
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