20100717
allafrica

Rubavu — The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Agnes Kalibata, Thursday, urged the residents of Rubavu and Nyabihu districts to own a re-forestation project of Gishwati forest.

She was launching the three-year project dubbed 'Gishwati Land and Water Management,' meant to ensure sustainable use of the forest.

The Minister said, "We need to find an urgent solution to Gishwati problem by fighting soil erosion and other destructive incidents."

The $25 million project is under the Ministry of Local Government. It will involve mass sensitization and land demarcation in a way that suitable agricultural activities, forest cover and animal husbandry.

The northern part of the forest, which straddles both Rubavu and Nyabihu districts, are prone to landslide, because it's located in a wetland.

Kalibata said the project has the ultimate aim of fostering healthy co-existence of agrarian communities with the ecosystem of Gishwati.

"This project has come also to solve the problem of the 700 households who were stopped to carry out agricultural activities until they are allocated the right place to carry out their farming activities," she said.