Soil and water conservation (SWC) technologies contribute to sustainable agriculture and rural poverty reduction. Yet, the relationship between farm household income and SWC investment is not well-understood in Rwanda. This study aims to assess the effects of investing in SWC on household income and improve the knowledge of how various classes of smallholders can benefit from such an investment at a farm level. The study used survey data from 422 farming households in northern Rwanda’s Burera, Gakenke and Musanze districts. Descriptive analysis was employed to determine levels of use of SWC and SF measures. Quantile estimation classified three classes of farming households: the poor, middle-income earners and the rich. Instrumental variable quantile regression was adopted to assess heterogeneous effects of financing SWC investment. The results revealed that the extent of using SWC and SF measures is generally low. Agriculture income and off-farm (casual) wages had the largest income shares among the poor and middle-income earners. Financing investment in SWC increases income significantly for middle-income earners, i.e. five times more than the poor, but it was ineffective for the wealthy. Socio-economic factors and commercial crops had a significant effect on income across the classes. Institutional factors demonstrated no significant impact on the poor and middle-income earners. The findings suggest that incorporating pro-poor interventions in SWC investment would increase the productivity and commercialisation of cash and staple crops. These results inform a need to promote linkages between SWC investment and income diversification strategies to increase asset-building for the poor and close income gaps among the three farming classes. This finding suggests the need to introduce saving and lending innovations in SWC that link farm activities to nonfarm opportunities.
From an economic point of view, protected areas do not bring in high profits, in comparison to other possible ways of land usage. National parks and nature reserves are costly in their creation, as well as in their subsequent upkeep and management. In developing countries, their operation can be the source of many political and economic problems. Usually, local communities neighboring protected areas perceive the existence of a protected zone negatively, although they are often able to avail themselves of park resources in various ways. Besides being given the opportunity to rationally make use of certain park resources, community members may be employed as park attendants, which is a practice that is widespread. A part of the profits obtained from the developing tourist industry may be allocated towards local development programs, e.g. the building of a new hospital or school. Some national parks, while lacking the adequate infrastructure necessary for tourism, grapple with a lack of funds. The lack of earning opportunities in connection with the development of tourism results in the local community's over-exploitation of park resources. This often manifests itself in an increased incidence of poaching in the protected area.
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