Mapping and Monitoring the Akagera Wetland in Rwanda

Felix Ndayisaba, Lamek Nahayo, Hao Guo, Anming Bao, Alphonse Kayiranga, Fidele Karamage and Enan M. Nyesheja
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Felix Ndayisaba: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Lamek Nahayo: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Hao Guo: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Anming Bao: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Alphonse Kayiranga: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Fidele Karamage: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Enan M. Nyesheja: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: Wetland maps are a prerequisite for wetland development planning, protection, and restoration. The present study aimed at mapping and monitoring Rwanda’s Akagera Complex Wetland by means of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). Landsat data, spanning from 1987 to 2015, were acquired from different sensor instruments, considering a 5-year interval during the dry season and the shuttle radar topographic mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (30-m resolution) was used to delineate the wetland. The mapping and delineation results showed that the wetland narrowly extends along the Rwanda-Tanzania border from north to south, following the course of Akagera River and the total area can be estimated at 100,229.76 ha. After waterbodies that occupy 30% of the wetland’s surface area, hippo grass and Cyperus papyrus are also predominant, representing 29.8% and 29%, respectively. Floodplain and swamp forest have also been inventoried in smaller proportions. While the wetland extent has apparently remained stable, the inhabiting waterbodies have been subject to enormous instability due to invasive species. Lakes, such as Mihindi, Ihema, Hago and Kivumba have been shrinking in extent, while Lake Rwanyakizinga has experienced a certain degree of expansion. This study represents a consistent decision support tool for Akagera wetland management in Rwanda.

Keywords: remote sensing; GIS; Akagera Complex Wetland; Rwanda; monitoring and mapping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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