Communities living near Rugezi Wetland in Burera District are calling for increased access to clean energy solutions to reduce their heavy reliance on the marshland, which is home to Rwanda’s grey-crowned crane population.
The call comes from residents in six sectors surrounding the wetland—Kivuye, Gatebe, Ruhunde, Butaro, Rwerere, and Rusarabuye—following annual awareness campaigns aimed at preserving the site.
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Rugezi Wetland, covering 6,736 hectares, is Rwanda’s only Ramsar site, designated internationally for its ecological importance, and one of 35 swamplands earmarked for full government protection.
Growing demand for clean energy
According to Burera District authorities, firewood use remains alarmingly high, with 93 percent of households still relying on it. The district aims to reduce this dependence and align with the national target of ensuring 80 percent adoption of clean cooking solutions by 2030.
"We have about 8,106 households using clean energy across the district, with 1,005 located near Rugezi Wetland," said Jean Baptiste Nshimiyimana, the district’s officer in charge of Economic Development.
He added that the district is working with stakeholders, including the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA), to promote improved cooking stoves and alternative solutions such as LPG and biogas. Annual community events like the Umusambi Football Tournament are also being used to mobilize residents to protect the wetland.
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Ongoing challenges
Despite these efforts, illegal firewood collection, soil erosion, and a lack of radical terraces continue to threaten the wetland’s ecosystem. In 2024, RWCA distributed 280 improved stoves to families in the Rwerere Sector, but firewood demand remains high.
"There are still many families who depend on the wetland’s buffer zones for firewood," said Deo Ruhagazi, RWCA Deputy Director. "Improved stoves help reduce consumption, but clean energy adoption remains very low in rural areas—over 90 percent still use firewood."
Other conservation measures, including tree planting and terracing, are being promoted to curb soil erosion and protect habitats, particularly for the endangered grey-crowned cranes. RWCA estimates that about 16,000 households are directly connected to the wetland.
The community’s voice
Local farmers say clean energy subsidies would make a major difference.
"Most families around Rugezi cannot afford alternatives like cooking gas, which has become more expensive," said Agnes Icyimanimpaye, a 42-year-old resident of Butaro Sector.
For residents like Icyimanimpaye and her neighbor, Yanick Mugabo, 50, from Rwerere, affordable access to clean energy is not just about convenience, it is a solution that could reduce dependency on the fragile wetland and ensure its survival for future generations.