Changes in Farming Practices in the Lake Kivu Basin

Provinces of eastern D.R. Congo are going through a period of political instability which has impacted negatively on the way smallholder farmers manage natural resources. This has contributed to increased degradation of Lake Kivu water and its productivity. The Lake supports a range of pelagic fish species that provides currently animal proteins to people within the basin. Its instability will therefore contribute to increased poverty, food insecurity and will exacerbate more conflicts over resources. This study aimed at determining changes in farming practices in the Lake Kivu basin in the last twenty years. A total of 200 households were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Preliminary results show that crop cultivation remained the major farming activity in Lake Kivu Basin; while livestock rearing, fishing and small businesses activities had significantly declined after the war. Other causes of the decline in livestock rearing included pest and diseases and the increased level of poverty in the region.