The Influence of Urban Population Growth on Agricultural Land Degradation "Case Study of Kinyinya Sector in Gasabo District, Kigali City"

Abstract— Kigali city is recently expanded over the peripheral areas due to combined factors like potential land in the area in attracting investments activities, proximity to the national market and accessibility for various types of infrastructures. Therefore, the need of this article to assess the influence of urban population growth on agricultural land degradation. The results of urban population growth on agricultural land leading to the conversion of agricultural land to infrastructure development which lead to the shortage of land designed for agriculture and lead to the hunger and increment in cost for basic need especially food. A multi-method data collection approach incorporating household survey, key informant interviews and personal observation has been used to assess urbanization process of the Kigali city and the changing livelihoods. Hence, the result of findings revealed that expansion of the city during the last 5 years made significant impacts on livelihood of farming community on peripheral areas: agricultural land fragmentation, land reduction, and loss of farmer’s property on the land. On the other hand, the non-farm economic sector developed in the area was not capable to absorb evicted households. In addition, rehabilitation mechanisms used by the city mainly an arrangement of cash compensation has found to be inadequate to replace their resource base, which is land. As a result, most of the families exposed to further economic, social and cultural impoverishment. Therefore, Kigali city’s expansion seems inevitable, to ensure sustainable urban development, government should make sound planning prior to displacement without treating livelihood of vulnerable groups of people living on peripheral area. Research findings show that 90% of the respondents agreed and affected by urban expansion. Especially people whom have expropriated due to public infrastructures such as roads, schools, markets, industries, institutions and estates, like families from Murama cell, Kinyinya sector who has relocated and expropriated while 10% of respondents have not yet affected by urban expansion The affected people are mostly living in slums (Gasharu and Murama) and have low income compared to those living in urban parts of Kinyinya( Kagugu and Gacuriro)