Rwanda’s terraces build resilience to climate change
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In Karongi district, Rwanda, the Rwandan Red Cross Society partnered with local communities to build “radical terraces” on steep hillsides, addressing issues of soil erosion, water quality, and food insecurity.
About half of Rwanda’s population lives on these hillsides, making them especially vulnerable to heavy rainfall and landslides. The Red Cross learned that successful adaptation projects require thorough community involvement from the beginning, including identifying priority hazards and deciding on solutions.
The RRCS conducted an assessment in the Rukore village and then employed over 400 residents for three months to construct the terraces across an area almost the size of 30 soccer fields. These terraces, originally developed in the 1970s, redirect rainwater to prevent erosion and create space for planting crops. The project not only stabilized the land but also improved food and economic security for residents, and its success inspired nearby communities to adopt similar techniques.
One woman who feared the impact of predicted heavy rains saw her home secured and her resilience increased through the project, demonstrating how locally led adaptation can reverse the negative impacts of climate change.
