Rwanda’s freshwater ecosystems occupy more than 10% of the country’ surface area, hosting threatened and endemic species.  This rich biodiversity is subject to intensive agriculture, habitat loss, hydrological changes, and loss of ecosystem function, accelerating vulnerability of communities to climate change and biodiversity loss. The Mukungwa catchment of northern Rwanda (surface area ~1500km2) is a priority region due to the presence of rich biodiversity including endangered species, hydropower stations, and geographic location in an extremely steep, rugged region experiencing habitat degradation, impacts of climate change, and severe erosion.  It encompasses the critical site for mountain gorilla conservation, Volcanoes National Park (VNP). It also includes one of the largest Ramsar sites in Rwanda, Rugezi swamp, a peat bog with unique flora and fauna. Its waters flow directly to the Ntaruka Hydropower plant.

Rwanda lacks a dynamic national biodiversity information system (e.g., data available and awareness of and active engagement with data holders and policy-makers) to host biodiversity data, limiting analyses and predictive capacity. Data exist within many different institutions with challenges for continued updating, maintenance, open access, conformity with data standards, and outputs.   During the planning grant period, data providers, technical partners, and other stakeholders will come together to engage in the project.  The most urgent goal is to identify key aspects of the biodiversity information system that will need to be addressed for success of the project and develop technical capacity to deliver. Participatory processes will be used to gather input from data holders and data users regarding the structure and format for this biodiversity information system.

1. Evaluate the status of biodiversity information data and data needs related to the Mukungwa watershed, Rwanda from data providers/stakeholders in Rwanda and Ex-African institutions.
2. Two Meetings with data providers, technical partners, and other stakeholders including researchers, policy and decision makers and final national workshop
3. Establish consensus and agreement on the format, structure and role of the biodiversity information system for Rwanda, focused on Mukungwa watershed
4. Develop technical capacity through trainings and working closely with experts to develop the technical mechanisms for the information system.

• Data quantity, quality, and value assessed and prioritized for inclusion in the information system with any gaps in data identified.
• Data sharing agreements finalized with data holding institutions.
• Obtain from decision makers’ discussions and technical team the orientation and ideas aligned with national priorities.
• Commitment of technical partners a formed technical team, and an agreed plan for developing information system based on stakeholder input.
• Detailed description of platform to be developed obtained and preliminary discussion on possible Memorandum of Association done.

Assessing the availability of data and establishing partnerships with data providers will be a crucial step towards collecting and mobilizing data for the information system. Through workshops with decision-makers and product end-users, buy-in and commitment to the project will be strengthened. Through the technical consultations and building the capacity of a technical team, the project partners will be ready to build the information system. The planning phase will prime CoEB to develop a proposal for the implementation of the information system.

Dr. Elias Bizuru has been a Professor at University of Rwanda (UR) since April 2008. Beside teaching, he was coordinator of the Msc program in Biodiversity Conservation before his appointment as Head of Biology Department. He has also been coordinator of the Regional Network of Conservation Educators in Albertine Rift (RNCEAR) with MacArthur Foundation funding. He is Director of Research, Innovation and Post Graduate Studies at the College of Science and Technology (UR). Bizuru established the local NGO Burundi Nature Action, and facilitated registering the Malagarazi Nature Reserve as a Ramsar site. Currently  he pursues his efforts in biodiversity conservation through the creation and operationalization of the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management in the Albertine Rift region.

• College of Science & Technology, University of Rwanda
• South African National Biodiversity Institute

This project will build on other current JRS investments in Rwanda centered on biodiversity information; partnership have been established between CoEB and ARCOS on their wetlands management plan and the Biodiversity Information Management Forum (BIMF) plan for Rwanda with South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), which is a follow up to CoEB’s participation in the African Biodiversity Challenge (ABC) grant, for which CoEB is mobilizing freshwater biodiversity data in Rwanda in partnership with ARCOS and SANBI.