Rwanda intensifies the war against climate change

As the world cries foul over the changes in the global climate largely caused by carbon emissions from manufacturing industries especially in Europe, the United States of America and the greater Asian countries of China, Japan and other leading industrial countries in Africa and around the globe. Many nations have recognised the devastating effects it has had on the world and its inhabitants and have therefore declared war against it. These carbon emissions as well as the increased pressure on natural resources like forests due to an ever increasing world population especially on the African continent have led to the increased atmospheric pressure that has greatly affected the world in what is referred to as “Global warming”. Rwanda whose industrial sector is so insignificant in as far as affecting the climate is concerned has been greatly affected by human encroachment on the existing natural resources. Being a small country with millions of Rwandans having returned from exile following the 1990-1994 liberation war, there was a increased need for land for settlement and agriculture and as a result many of the forests were encroached upon. Gishwati forest that covered 48,600 square metres in 1994 currently exists on only 886 square metres. Madeleine Nyiragwiza the current care taker of the forest says that there are plans to replant 300 more square metres and eventually connecting Gishwati to Nyungwe. Such a plan and many others like the “one kitchen garden per home” are some of the ways Rwanda can contribute to combating climate change. Rwanda each year earmarks a week to call for the observance, preservance and the protection of the surrounding environment. This year’s observance week under the theme “your planet needs you-unite to combat climate change” started on May 30, 2009 and ended June 5, 2009. During the week a lot of tree planting activities conducted in all villages and districts across the country as well as in schools and higher institutions of learning. Campaigns to encourage farmers to join their farms in order to avoid the devastating effects of soil erosion are also under way. This is very important in as far as the fight against climate change is concerned since the emission of gases that affect the climate will be absorbed at the same time. The effect of global warming on the world has been so tremendous and very alarming that the UN has been obliged to call upon the industrialised countries to reduce on carbon emissions from their industries. This might however have a very insignificant effect on the already changed world climate but might as well reduce on the risk of having a continued sequence of changes in the climate. The author is an English Instructor at Kigali Institute of Education. phatari@yahoo.co.uk