Jules RUTEBUKA
Kigali, Rwanda
Summary
Dr. Jules Rutebuka is an expert in land and water management, with extensive experience in sustainable landscape management, soil erosion control, and soil fertility management. He got his BSc in Soil Science and Environmental Management from the National University of Rwanda and an MSc in Physical Land Resources from Ghent University, Belgium. In 2019, he completed his PhD at Ghent University, focusing on the integrated multiscale assessment of soil erosion and its control in Rwanda.
Over the past 15 years, Dr. Rutebuka has held various influential roles, including serving as a Senior Research Fellow at the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB). During his tenure, he led critical development and research projects such as the Rwanda Soil Information Service (RwaSIS) and initiatives related to land husbandry, climate change, erosion control, and soil fertility management.
Currently, Dr. Rutebuka serves as a Regional Programme Officer on Sustainable Agriculture for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), where he greatly contributes to promoting sustainable agriculture practices aimed at improving land health and food security across the Eastern and Southern Africa region (ESARO). Additionally, he is a Research Associate supporting the agricultural and environmental studies at the High Lands Centre of Leadership for Development-Rwanda (HLC-L4D) based in Kigali.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work history
09.2024
- Regional Capacity for East and Southern Africa experts on Climate smart agriculture and Soil health monitoring, Mombasa Regional Training on Climate-Smart Agriculture, Soil Fertility Management, and Soil Health Monitoring in Eastern and Southern Africa
10.2023
- Training in Digital Soil Mapping, Uncertainty Analysis, and Soil Nutrient Mapping in Rwanda as well as Land-Soil-Crop Hub digital based development in Rwanda, Kenya and Ethiopia.
07.2020
- Consultancy study on Multi-Dimensional Poverty Environment in Musanze and Bugesera Districts and proposed Interventions for Poverty Reduction, Sustainability and Climate Resilience
- Consultancy services for Identifying potentials and gaps towards poverty reduction and environmental natural resource management in the context of irrigation development (including water dams), land husbandry, and livestock production Consultancy and Innovation Business Action (CIBA).
12.2019
- Consultancy for developing a policy brief on Trees on farms for improved biodiversity and sustainable agriculture, Rwanda (On-going November -December 2019);
Master
10.2019
- Thesis on the investigation and mapping of soil erosion and guide for erosion control within Cyajongo micro-Catchment, Secoko sub-catchment, Upper Nyabarongo Catchment of Rwanda, Department of Soil and Water Engineering, University of Rwanda.
01.2018
- Courses organized by Ghent University (Belgium), Doctoral schools program: Introductory statistics: Basics of statistical inference and Applied linear regression
- Transferable skills, seminars and trainings attended
01.2014
- Technical studies for designing retention ponds/dykes for controlling floods at Sebeya river in the Western part of Rwanda (Rubavu and Rutsiro districts)/ Soil and water conservation component., Assessing site-specific fertilizer recommendations within an integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) approach on maize production at HUYE and MUHANGA districts (Rwanda)
- Greenhouse experiments on micronutrient response functions (Zn, B, Cu) on bean growth (Rwanda)
- Assessment of the use of human manure and urine as fertilizer on maize production and fertility improvement in Bugesera district.
01.2009
- Contribution to research data collection system on Coffee farming and soil management in Rwanda (PhD thesis of Dr
- NZEYIMANA Innocent); and Institutional Economic Analysis of Bench Terraces in the Highlands of Rwanda (PhD thesis work of Dr
- Alfred BIZOZA)
- Studies/Consultancies, : Study on grouped settlement (IMIDUGUDU) development in Rwandan rural areas, soil science component., : Environmental impact assessment of CIMERWA (cemetery) factory on its surrounding area of Bugarama region (Rwanda), Soil science and agronomy component
- Professional experiences
Regional Program Lead
12.2022 - Current
- J., Ndoli, A., 2020
- Policy briefs on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) “Technical Packages for Rwanda”
- Research and consultancy contributions
- Research projects, of different agriculturevrelated projects within IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESARO):
- Leading a project funded by the IKEA Foundation, Pernod Ricard, French Development Agency through IUCN to “accelerating the global transition to sustainable agriculture” for mainstreaming land health in sustainable agriculture, as a Nature-based Solution to food and water insecurity, climate change and other societal challenges”-Rwanda and Tanzania
- Leading DESIRA project on Improving resilience of farmers' livelihoods to climate change through innovative, research proven climate-smart agroforestry and efficient use of tree resources in the Eastern Province and peri-urban areas of Kigali city, Funded -Rwanda
- Leading DeSIRA LSC-IS - Land, Soil, Crop Information System for climate-resilient Food Systems in Africa, funded by EU and Netherlands- Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda
- Technical assistance in sustainable agriculture and landscape management in different IUCN projects across the ESARO Region.
Regional Programme Lead
12.2022 - Current
- Sustainable Agriculture, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-Rwanda Office to provide technical assistance in ESARO Land Systems with a focus on Sustainable Agriculture (SA) and Landscape management:
- Develop the Programmatic strategy for Sustainable Agriculture in ESARO; Develop the Programmatic strategy for Sustainable Agriculture in ESARO; Provide technical backstopping and support Programmatic initiatives and play a leading role in partner and stakeholder relationships.
11.2023 - 08.2024
- Detailed study and investigations to assess the feasibility design of hydro-agricultural development of Rubuyenge- Burakari marshlands (416,67 ha) located in Nyanza and Ruhango districts, southern province, component of integrated and comprehensive land husbandry plan with GIS Analysis and Mapping and ground truthing techniques.
07.2023 - 08.2023
- Contributing to the Consultancy Services for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in agriculture sector in Rwanda under IPAR Organization with:
- Conduct analysis of the existing policy instruments such as NAP, PSTAs and other related ones from MINAGRI, and linked institutions to identify success stories, gaps, challenges and opportunities to mainstream biodiversity in agriculture sector in the recent past years
- Assess success and gaps in the process of mainstream biodiversity in agriculture for six priority commodity areas including maize, beans, irish potato, coffee and pollination niches (forest/agroforestry);
- Assess the level of engagement of key stakeholders from public, NGOs and private sector in promoting conservation of biodiversity in agriculture landscapes
- Identify key drivers of inhibiting agriculture biodiversity and propose strategic options to optimize the biodiversity mainstreaming in agriculture for societal, environmental, and economic benefits in Rwanda.
Project coordinator
Rwanda Soil Information Service, RWASIS
12.2020 - 11.2022
- Coordinating the Development of Rwanda Information Service (RwaSIS) aiming to implement sustainable fertility and land management database for improving agriculture productivity., Coordinating the project implementation at the National level in close collaboration with 4 supervisors at 4 country zones (Provinces) and administration of the project
- Giving guidance to supervisors to monitor and follow up on 12 satellite staff that are doing project activities at the field level
- Facilitating the linkage between my institution staff with 5 international partners, and local key public and private stakeholders
- Coordinating project reporting system (Technical and Financial) at the Government level as well as to the donor (BMGF).
04.2021 - 06.2021
- Contribution to the End Line Evaluation Report for “Local Partnership for Rehabilitation of Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Nyabarongo Watershed Project”/Ngororero District
- Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA)
12.2020 - 05.2021
- Study on Socio-economic and Livelihoods Assessment in Mukungwa and Akagera Lower Catchments for International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Rwanda Water Resources Development Board (RWB), Component of catchment restoration mapping strategies explored in CROM-DSS
- Land water Management expert in High Lands Centre of Leadership for Development (HLC-L4D).
07.2019 - 11.2020
- Leading the implementation of Program for Results (P4R) to promote the public-private partnership (PPP) approach on developed bench terraced lands and irrigation schemes, Agreement between Government of Rwanda and multi-donors (World Bank and European Union)
Land
01.2015 - 01.2020
- Husbandry, Irrigation and Mechanization research, and technology transfer (LIR and TT) at Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB)
- Job position: Land Husbandry, soil conservation, and Soil fertility management specialist, Land husbandry and integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) program
- Responsibilities: Supervise overall land husbandry and ISFM sector activities and promote/participate in coordination activities with donors, implementing partners, policymakers, and line departments
- Participate in determining strategies for new and existing erosion control systems as well as the involvement of the private sector in land husbandry development.
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Modelling soil erosion risk in Rwanda using a USLE/GIS-based approach
- Bachelor theses supervision, Higher Institute of Agriculture and Animal husbandry (ISAE) at Busogo (currently University of Rwanda)
01.2016 - 01.2017
- Contribution to the consultancy study for the Execution of Hydro-Agricultural development of Rubuyenge-Burakari) marshlands located in Nyanza and Ruhango Districts respectively, Southern Province of Rwanda: agronomy and land husbandry component., Rainfall simulator design and erodibility assessment of the two Rwandan soils., : Hands-on Global Soil information facilities (R-software, SAGA, GIS, and Google Earth) organized by ISRIC, World Soil Information, Wageningen University, 9-13 May 2016.
Master
Ghent University
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Theses supervision as a tutor in the context of my PhD research, Effectiveness of radical and progressive terraces as erosion control measures in two agro-ecological zones of Rwanda
- Impact of erosion and terracing on Physico-chemical topsoil quality in two agro-ecological zones of Rwanda
- Soil erosion risk mapping using RUSLE in Tangata watershed, Rwanda (Tangata watershed)
Assistant researcher
Rwanda Agriculture
01.2013 - 01.2015
- Study of Nitrogen transformation processes in the soil using 15-N tracing techniques in the Nyungwe pristine mountain rain forest (Rwanda) under project from the University of Ghent, ISOFYS research groups, and Catholic University of Bukavu (DR Congo)., Socio-economic feasibility study on railway project of Rwanda-Burundi-Tanzania as a Senior Team Leader, this study was done by GIB company in partnership with Prof
- Dr
- Bizoza R Alfred (Main consultant)., : Training the rural communities and field staff to raise knowledge on rainwater harvesting techniques in the farming systems for World vision beneficiaries in the Southern province, Huye district (Rwanda)., and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), Soil water management program, Rubona Research station, in integrated soil fertility management (ISFM)
- Responsibilities: Supervise all the on-farm and research station-based experimental trials in different action and satellites sites on developing and fine-tune fertilizer recommendations within an ISFM approach under AGRA (Africa Green Revolution) and IFDC funded projects
- Secondly, I was in charge of scaling up ISFM technologies under ASARECA (Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa) and SIMLESA (Sustainable Intensification of Maize Legume cropping systems for food security in Eastern and Southern Africa), : Carbon storage in different land use managements in tropical highly weathered and v volcanic soils in Rwanda.
01.2012 - 01.2013
- Nutrient dynamics in the NYUNGWE tropical mountain rainforest (Rwanda) through comparison of input, dynamics, and loss in a central African tropical mountain forest versus Eucalyptus plantation., Taught courses, Higher Institute of Agriculture and Animal husbandry (ISAE) at Busogo (Rwanda), Department of Soil and water management
- Soil organic matter management
- Setting up field experiments and laboratory measurements, and grading quizzes and papers
- 5th academic year
- Introduction to Soil physics
- Setting up field experiments and laboratory measurements, and grading quizzes and papers
- 2nd academic year
- Courses attended
Director of planning
Kirehe District and KWAMP, Kirehe Community
06.2010 - 09.2010
- Based Watershed Management Project) in, , monitoring, and Evaluation and Focal person of the KWAMP project
- Responsibilities:
- Coordinate KWAMP project activities and their alignment to the district development plan and implementation
- Similarly, Leading the directorate to plan, monitor, and evaluate all district's development activities
- Serve as a member of the District Technical Coordination Committee and advise the institution on matters pertaining to integrated planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
Kirehe District and KWAMP, Kirehe Community
09.2009 - 06.2010
- Based Watershed
- Management Project) in the Eastern province, Rwanda
- Job position: Soil and water management field facilitator
- Responsibilities: Assessment and criteria-setting for soil and water conservation (SWC) structural measures; Integrated and participatory watershed protection works; Protection of anti-erosion structures through tree planting; Establishment of community-based tree nurseries; and Compilation and distribution of SWC resource manual for farmers
- Thesis supervision and teaching experiences
Education
B.S -
2024
Ruticumugambi, J.A. - undefined
2024
PhD - Land and Water Management
Ghent University
2019
Attended Seminars and other trainings - undefined
2018
skills - undefined
Ghent University
2017
Leadership Foundation Course Project management - undefined
Summer School 'Zeg 't eens, s Talk Science
2016
Training on GIS for - undefined
2014
Training on “Strengthening Agricultural Innovation Platform - undefined
2014
Flanders Training Network for Methodology and Statistics (FLAMES) seminars - undefined
2013
Master of Science - Physical Land Resources (Soil Science
Ghent University
2012
Bachelor of Science - Soil and Environmental Management
National University of Rwanda (currently University of Rwanda
2008
Skills
- Languages Level of fluency
- English Very good
- French Very good
- Kinyarwanda (Mother language) Excellent
- Swahili Very good
- Digital tools
- Statistics: R-software and others such as SPSS 25, S-plus, and GENSTAT
- Data Base: Arc-GIS 1051, ArcGIS pro, Google earth pro, Rainbow for climate data and other Microsoft MS-Excel,…
Interests
111369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111369.
, Rutebuka, J., Kagabo, D.M., Verdoodt, A., 2019. Farmers' diagnosis of current soil erosion status and control within two contrasting agro-ecological zones of Rwanda. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2019.03.016
Rutebuka, J., 2019. Integrated multiscale assessment of soil erosion and its control in Rwanda. Doctoral Thesis, Ghent University, Belgium. https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8620562
Rutebuka, J., De Taeye, S., Kagabo, M.D., Verdoodt, A., 2020. Calibration and validation of rainfall erosivity estimators for application in Rwanda. Published in March 2020 in CATENA journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2020.104538
Kabirigi, M., Mugambi, S., Musana, B.S., Ngoga, G.T., Muhutu, J.C., Rutebuka, J., Ruganzu, V., Nzeyimana, I. and Nabahungu, N.L., 2017. Estimation of soil erosion risk, its valuation, and economic implications for agricultural production in the Western part of Rwanda
Additional Information
- Personal information Names:
- . https://hdl.handle.net/10568/90408
Timeline
09.2024
11.2023 - 08.2024
10.2023
07.2023 - 08.2023
Regional Program Lead
12.2022 - Current
Regional Programme Lead
12.2022 - Current
04.2021 - 06.2021
Project coordinator
Rwanda Soil Information Service, RWASIS
12.2020 - 11.2022
12.2020 - 05.2021
07.2020
12.2019
Master
10.2019
07.2019 - 11.2020
01.2018
01.2017 - 01.2018
01.2016 - 01.2017
Land
01.2015 - 01.2020
Master
Ghent University
01.2015 - 01.2016
01.2014
Assistant researcher
Rwanda Agriculture
01.2013 - 01.2015
01.2012 - 01.2013
Director of planning
Kirehe District and KWAMP, Kirehe Community
06.2010 - 09.2010
Kirehe District and KWAMP, Kirehe Community
09.2009 - 06.2010
01.2009
Ruticumugambi, J.A. - undefined
PhD - Land and Water Management
Ghent University
Attended Seminars and other trainings - undefined
skills - undefined
Ghent University
Leadership Foundation Course Project management - undefined
Summer School 'Zeg 't eens, s Talk Science
Training on GIS for - undefined
Training on “Strengthening Agricultural Innovation Platform - undefined
Flanders Training Network for Methodology and Statistics (FLAMES) seminars - undefined
Master of Science - Physical Land Resources (Soil Science
Ghent University
Bachelor of Science - Soil and Environmental Management
National University of Rwanda (currently University of Rwanda
B.S -
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