How women have taken lead in deforestation fight in Eastern Province

As the government moves to implement three major projects to increase forests in Eastern Province, women have embarked on trading improved cookstoves to reduce pressure on planted forests. Historically, 40 or 50 years ago, Rwanda’s Eastern Province had sufficient forest cover. However, deforestation occurred as people cut trees in search of agricultural land, charcoal, firewood, and construction materials, according to the Rwanda Forestry Authority. ALSO READ: Land degradation costs Rwanda $70 million annually Concorde Nsengumuremyi, the Director General of Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA), says half of the jobs created through these forestry initiatives will be secured by women and youth. Some projects to curb deforestation in Eastern Province include Transforming Eastern Province through Adaptation (TREPA) project, a six-year initiative that will cost $33.8 million. It aims to restore 60,000 hectares of drought-degraded landscapes into climate-resilient ecosystems through reforestation, agroforestry, restoration of pasturelands, and soil erosion control measures. This project is being implemented across all seven districts of Eastern Province. Another project, Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change through Enhancing Community-Based Biodiversity Conservation (COMBIO), is set to cost $8.8 million and will contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation for ecosystems and communities in the districts of Kirehe, Ngoma, Bugesera, Rwamagana, Kayonza, Gatsibo, and Nyagatare. ALSO READ: Govt turns to agroforestry to increase forest cover The third project, AREECA, which is set to cost $8.8 million, seeks to restore the ecological functionality and biological productivity of 5,000 hectares of degraded forest landscapes in Nyagatare and Kirehe districts. Women leading sustainable solutions in Nyagatare Immaculee Ingabire, a board member of the Rwanda Women’s Network, said that they have mobilized women to trade and distribute improved cookstoves to reduce pressure on forests in Nyagatare District. In sectors like Katabagemu, Musheri, Nyagatare Rukomo and Tabagwe, deforestation surpasses the afforestation efforts from 2009 to 2019 according to Rwanda forestry cover map. The overall trend is negative with about a 16% decrease in forest cover during the last 10 years which is about 1.6% of forest loss every year in Nyagatare district. The situation is more alarming as the district is already in a semi-arid region and the risk of drought is likely to increase. The project aims to improve household health and environmental sustainability through the distribution of fuel-efficient cooking stoves and behavior change campaigns in Nyagatare District, she noted. There are also plans to expand the project to Gatsibo District. In Gatsibo, there is a negative trend of 1% due to deforestation (7% deforestation rate) which surpasses the afforestation (6% afforestation rate). The situation is worse in Kabarore with 42% deforestation against only 7% afforestation. When the environment is destroyed, women are the first to be affected. Women also play a key role in environmental protection. With climate change, women and children are the most affected. Most women spend time cooking, which contributes to deforestation. Therefore, improved cookstoves will help. This is one of many projects we have this year, she said. ALSO READ: Depletion of forest resources at 9.6 percent Nearly 80% of Rwandan households use wood and charcoal for cooking, contributing to indoor air pollution. The World Health Organization estimates that indoor air pollution causes the premature death of about 12,500 people every year in Rwanda, especially women and children. In 2015, the UN issued over 6,500 carbon certificates under its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for the Improved Cookstoves programme in Rwanda. To date, the programme has provided more than 14,000 households in Rwanda with affordable and energy-efficient stoves. Rwanda Women’s Network is a proud partner in enabling this change. We decided to join this programme because we saw opportunities for families, the environment, and women, said Mary Barikungeri, founder of the Rwanda Women’s Network. She added that the programme is contributing to reducing the rate of wood usage by half. The innovatively designed and high-quality efficient cookstoves are creating jobs for women in the communities, as they learn to assemble and sell the stoves through Safe Spaces. Over a period of 30 years, the programme is expected to distribute more than 100,000 stoves and reduce over 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. This is comparable to the carbon emissions released by 75,000 buses making a round trip from Kigali to Nairobi, developers said. ALSO READ: Rwanda loses over Rwf800bn annually due to soil erosion The efficient stoves reduce the amount of wood needed for cooking by up to 80%, significantly improving daily life. Over 100 jobs have been created for stove constructors, distributors, and project managers. By distributing these stoves, we hope to decrease the demand for firewood, thereby reducing deforestation in Rwanda. We are distributing improved cookstoves in eight sectors, and women have received jobs in making and trading these stoves, said Susan Uwantege, a resident of Nyagatare District. A total investment of $1.37 billion is required by 2030 to achieve the government’s target of reducing charcoal use from 83% to 42% of the population, in order to reduce pressure on Rwanda’s forests.

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How women have taken lead in deforestation fight in Eastern Province