Assessment of sustainable integrated watershed management approach: case study Sebeya watershed

Abstract

Nowadays, integrated watershed management approach is key element for sustainable watershed management for achieving social, economic and environment aspect within watershed .The purpose of this research is to evaluate the sustainable integrated watershed management approach for the different activities implemented by Government of Rwanda for managing Sebeya watershed. Ninety seven people were randomly selected from four district covered sebeya watershed NYABIHU,RUBAVU, RUTSIRO and NGORORERO, interview and Questionnaires methods were used for investigating the integrated watershed management approach , the Data was subjected in STATA software for analysis. The results show that 17.53% use water harvesting system while 82.47% they did not adopt, area occupied with bench terraces was 30.93% while 69.07% was not conserved with bench terraces, progressive terraces was occupied with 26.80% and 73.20% was not protected, agroforestry was implemented at 68.04% while 31.96% remaining unprotected with agroforestry, sebeya River bank protection was at 77.32% while 22.68 % was not protected,the improved cooking stoves was used at rate 8.3% while 91.7% use three stone open fire, the main cause of Sebeya degradation was illegal mining in upland at rate 98.97%, increasing in settlement at 79.35% and intensive agriculture at 69.07%, the participation of local people is at rate 20.62%. Integrated watershed approach is required for improving livelihood of peoples and Government must protect all catchment in Sebeya watershed