Isaac Ngango a resident of Muyira sector in Nyanza district recalls different species of wildlife that used to be in Kibirizi-Muyira Natural Forest but only few of them have survived the human encroachment.

According to witnesses, charcoal production, hunting, illegal logging, cultivation among others have triggered huge losses in biodiversity richness.

"The forest was there during the kingdom. We used to see different animals such as antelopes, gazelle, duiker, leopard, panther among many others but due to hunting the species are no longer there,” he said.

He said that currently the only visible animals in the forest include birds, monkeys, and rabbits among others.

"This forest is very important in our region because the little rain we get starts from this forest. We hope that when it will have been restored we will benefit a lot. Surrounding community should play a big role,” he said.

Nyanza District officials say that some 210 farmers have land titles for the encroached part while others don’t.

An investigation is being carried out to know how they ended up owning the land.

The demarcation of the forest has been done so that the encroached part of the forest can be returned to state.

Some people might lose their land titles depending on the investigation results according to officials.

Kibirizi-Muyira Natural Forest is located in Amayaga Region that experiences dry spells due to deforestation.

"The illegal activities had reduced the forest by two-thirds,” said Aimable Nsengimana in charge of Environment in Nyanza District.

So far he said a buffer zone has been established around the forest under Rwf31.9 billion Green Amayaga Forest Landscape Restoration project.

"After restoration, the forest will have 420 hectares in total,” he said, adding the forest also accommodates medicinal plants.

He said the tourism project is also being mulled in the area.

Philbert Nkurunziza , the Green Amayaga Project Coordinator said that degraded land and forests in Kamonyi, Ruhango, Nyanza and Gisagara districts will be restored within six years.

At least 555 hectares of degraded natural forests including 354 hectares of Kibirizi-Muyira natural forest will be rehabilitated.

"We have established a buffer zone around Kibirizi-Muyira Natural Forest. Next year we will plant 34 km on this buffer zone,” he said.

Statistics show that 263,000 hectares of degraded forests and 263,000 hectares of agricultural land to be restored and rehabilitated in total in the four districts and create 150,000 green jobs.

Over 60,000 households will be provided with improved and energy efficient cook stoves to reduce wood consumption by at least 25 percent and greenhouse gases emissions, and halt indoor respiratory diseases. 

"So far over 11,000 households have been given the stoves. The community should play a big role in protecting the forests,” he said.

The natural forests to be restored represent 0.14 percent of Rwanda’s total national natural forests.

The interventions could avoid 4.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the next five years and 13 million tons of indirect greenhouse gas emissions over the next 20 years.

Forests in Rwanda now occupy 724,695 hectares of the country’s total land area, of which 130,850 hectares is natural forests, 161,843 hectares is wooded savannah and 43,963 hectares is shrubs.

The country’s 111 natural forests include large rainforests such as Nyungwe, Volcanoes and Gishwati-Mukura national parks as well as smaller forests.