Environment minister renews call for water, forest protection

Rwanda has marked three global environmental days with a renewed call for conservation, as communities planted thousands of trees during Umuganda. In an exercise held on Saturday, March 28, at Rukerereza site in Gasabo District, residents and officials joined efforts to protect forests and water resources by planting trees on an area of 10 hectares. ALSO READ: Farmers join fight to restore forests in Eastern province The Minister of Environment, Bernadette Arakwiye, said the joint celebration of the International Day of Forests, World Water Day and World Meteorological Day reflected how closely the three are linked. Forests play a critical role in protecting water bodies by preventing soil erosion, which often leads to siltation of rivers and lakes. She noted that growing climate risks, including heavy rains and floods, continue to threaten livelihoods and natural resources, making collective action more urgent. ALSO READ: Meteo Rwanda warns of floods, landslides in April Arakwiye urged citizens to take practical steps such as protecting riverbanks, controlling soil erosion through terraces, and planting trees, stressing that conservation efforts must go hand in hand with the use of clean energy and adherence to weather advisories. “Everyone has a role to play in safeguarding water and forest resources and in using meteorological information to reduce disaster risks,” she said. More than 11,000 trees were planted during the exercise, largely indigenous species selected for their resilience to changing climate conditions. ALSO READ: WASAC Group mulls ways to reduce non-revenue water losses These included Croton megalocarpus, Ficus thonningii, Erythrina abyssinica, Albizia adianthifolia, Polyscias fulva and Podocarpus falcatus. Concorde Nsengumuremyi, the Director General of the Rwanda Forestry Authority, said the choice of the indigenous species is intended not only to restore degraded land but also to strengthen ecosystems against climate shocks. The Director General of Meteo Rwanda, Aimable Gahigi, highlighted improvements in weather forecasts, noting that short term forecast accuracy has risen to 83 per cent, up from about 65 per cent a decade ago. He said stronger observation systems and international data sharing have enhanced the country’s ability to predict weather patterns and plan ahead. According to Gahigi, forecasts are increasingly being used for long term planning, including climate projections spanning 30 to 50 years, helping authorities anticipate changes in temperature and rainfall. However, he pointed out that uptake of meteorological information remains low among the general public, partly due to limited understanding of technical terms. “There is still a gap in how people interpret weather information, which affects how they respond to it,” Gahigi said, adding that awareness campaigns are ongoing to bridge that gap. He also cited progress in building local expertise, noting that academic programmes such as atmospheric physics at the University of Rwanda are helping train specialists who previously had to study abroad.

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Environment minister renews call for water, forest protection