Impact of Urban Growth on Land Management in Rwanda

Abstract

Urban growth can have positive effects if well managed or negative impacts in instances of uncontrolled urban expansion. Often, land management regulations are employed in urban areas to ensure that land is efficiently planned and managed to achieve sustainable land management (SLM) .This study examines the changing landscape of Kabuga town in Gasabo district, City of Kigali due to land use conversion. The employed data were obtained from 107 respondents and interviews with the local authorities in charge of urban planning. The results reveal that 6% of the population lived in Kabuga before 1994 and the remaining 94% are migrants; 55% came within the period 1994-2005, 29% came during 2006-2012 and 10% came after 2012 implying that residents are predominantly migrants. The analysis finds evidence of diminishing agricultural and forested land and vacant lands in favour of residential area and commercial activities due to influx of people. Major impacts of this changing environment in Kabuga town are overcrowding, pollution and lose of green spaces. For sustainable urban growth, alternative ways and means of controlling the growth of Kabuga town in order to overcome issues related to land use conversion are proposed.