The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Soil carbon and water quality in Rwanda

Reduced carbon storage through runoff

The soil carbon is important in all soil processes and both a sink for carbon sequestration and a source of carbon release. The increase of precipitations and temperatures attendant to climate and land cover changes in tropical regions can reduce the soil carbon storage through the export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from lands into aquatic ecosystems especially in high altitude ecosystems. The resulting DOC increase in aquatic ecosystems will potentially affect the water quality and therefore their functioning.

Carbon loss related to climate and land cover changes

Our study aims assessing and predicting the effect of climate and land cover changes on total organic carbon (TOC) and DOC in high altitude agricultural dominated lands and DOC export into rivers at watershed scale. The research project site is Rukarara watershed located in the southern Rwanda, upstream of Lake Victoria Basin. This watershed is characterized with Nyungwe natural forest, plantation forests and cultivated areas with annual crops (e.g. common bean, sorghum, maize, etc.) and perennial crops (e.g. tea and banana plantations, etc.). A GIS-based model, the Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys) will be adapted to quantify DOC exported into water streams through leaching and runoff. 

Linking soil carbon and water quality in a high altitude agricultural dominated watershed in Rwanda

Contact information

Fabien Rizinjirabake

E-mail:fabien [dot] rizinjirabake [at] nateko [dot] lu [dot] se ( fabien[dot]rizinjirabake[at]nateko[dot]lu[dot]se)

Researchers in this project

Mr. Fabien RIZINJIRABAKE

Dr. David TENENBAUM
Lund University

Professor Petter PILESJÖ
Lund University

Dr. John E. WASIGE
Makerere University

Dr. Théophile NIYONZIMA
University of Rwanda