[01] Onesphore Mutiganda, Depertement of Environment, Economics and Natural Resources Management, University of Lay Adventists of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda. [02] Abias Maniragaba, Depertement of Environment, Economics and Natural Resources Management, University of Lay Adventists of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda. [03] Evase Ntaganira, Depertement of Environment, Economics and Natural Resources Management, University of Lay Adventists of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda. [04] Zena Mbera, Depertement of Environment, Economics and Natural Resources Management, University of Lay Adventists of Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda. [05] Marie Rose Mukarubayiza, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda. [06] Sing Pratap, Departement of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, University of Arba Minch, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.

This work is entitled “Impact of informal settlements on forest ecosystem services in Rwanda, case study Gatsata Sector in Gasabo District”. The problem statement of forest ecosystem services deterioration through forest ecosystem provisioning services deterioration, forest ecosystem regulating services deterioration, ecosystem supporting services deterioration and ecosystem cultural services deterioration, all forest ecosystem services deterioration were indicated by increasing of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, land degradation, increasing of floods and droughts, advancing deserts, underground water diminution and death of household for lack of forest ecosystem services sustainability of Gatsata Sector in Gasabo District. The purpose of this study was to analyse the level of informal settlement, to examine the existence of forest ecosystem services and to analyse the extent informal settlement reducing forest ecosystem services. The study population were comprised 181 local leaders within four years from 2016-2019 as sample size selected by using purposively sampling method and data collected by one questionnaire with 128 questions and Google Map which analysed by using methods of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics with SPSS, Excel and Arc GIS. The first specific objective findings average for correlation and regression between informal settlements indicators impact (deforestation, poor houses, population growth and unplanned infrastructure) and provisioning services, regulating services, supporting services and cultural services deterioration are r & R² = (76.4%, 58.4%) with (0.000), (80.5%, 64.7%) with (0.000), (78.6%, 64.5%) with (0.000) and (79.875%, 63.875%) with (0.000) respectively where findings of GIS to the area covered by informal settlements is 84.4% of total settlements. The second specific objective findings average for Non-correlation and Non-causality between existence forest ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural services) and informal settlement (deforestation, poor houses, population growth and unplanned infrastructure impact) are r& R² = (12.2%, 22.85%) with (0.000), (22.45%, 39.825%) with (0.000), (20.275%, 36.475%) with (0.000) and (16.575%, 30.325%) with (0.000) respectively where findings of GIS to the area covered by forest ecosystem is 32.2% of Gatsata sector. The correlation and regression results for third objective are r & R² =99.7%, and 99.4%, (0.003). Conclusion and Recommendation were basing relocating households of informal settlements and reforestation to the forest ecosystem services sustainability due all hypotheses in this study were rejected due the significant level obtained are less than 0.05 significant level used.

Informal Settlements, Forest Ecosystem, Provisioning Services, Regulating Services and Cultural Services

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