Assessment of the Impact of ZDAs and Forests on Water Security, Sanitation, and Hygiene in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fodouh Fodouh, in collaboration with the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). The research was supported by the USAID's Food Security Program and the University of Rwanda's College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. The study aimed to investigate the impact of the agricultural development initiative on food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable agriculture practices in Rwanda. The research focused on the Eastern Province, where the initiative was implemented, and collected data from over 10,000 households. The study found that the agricultural development initiative had a significant impact on food security and poverty reduction in Rwanda. The initiative led to a 27% increase in household income among program participants, and food security indicators improved across all target communities. The study also found that women-headed households showed higher adoption rates for sustainable agriculture practices, and that the initiative had a positive impact on poverty reduction. The study recommended that the agricultural development initiative be scaled up to cover more areas and that the government of Rwanda should continue to support the initiative. The study also recommended that the initiative should focus on improving market access and infrastructure development to support sustainable agriculture practices. The research team used a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods. The study collected data from over 10,000 households and used statistical analysis to identify trends and patterns in the data. The study found that the agricultural development initiative had a positive impact on