Rwanda’s Nyandungu Eco-Park, on Sunday, July 27, was awarded the Star Wetland Centre Award, recognising it as one of the world’s top 16 wetland sites for education and visitor experience. The Star Wetland Centre Award is the global quality mark dedicated to educators and visitor attractions at wetlands, which can include rivers, marshes, coasts, and mangrovek. ALSO READ: How Rwanda is faring in wetlands restoration Nyandugu Eco-Park’s recognition was announced during the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14), in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The park received a Full Star Award, along with individual category Stars for People and Biodiversity, pointing to its status as a model for sustainable wetland restoration, conservation education, and public engagement. The park currently spans 121 hectares, comprising 70 hectares of wetland and 50 hectares of forest, with more than 62 indigenous plant species, and is set to expand by an additional 43 hectares. Nearly 200 bird species that had migrated due to wetland degradation returned to the park following its rehabilitation. One notable outcome of the park's restoration is the publication of Falling for the Birds of Kigali, a comprehensive compendium documenting the bird diversity within Nyandungu Park. The number of visitors to the park rose from 48,813 in 2022 to 6,754 visitors in 2024. ALSO READ: Over 20 per cent of Kigali city wetlands need rehabilitation The government initiated the Nyandungu restoration project in 2016, aiming to combat degradation and showcase the potential of wetlands in pollution mitigation and flood prevention. The restoration of the Nyandungu wetland and the creation of an eco-tourism park involved the planting of 17,000 trees from 55 indigenous species. The initiative also generated approximately 4,000 green jobs. The public park was opened to visitors in 2022. Rwanda is continuing with its efforts towards urban ecological restoration by embarking on the rehabilitation of five additional wetlands in the City of Kigali.
