Despite the year 2020 being a year that was blighted by the Covid-19 pandemic bot at the national and the global scale, major milestones were made in the effort to conserve the environment. The New Times has compiled ten environmental stories that made the biggest headlines in the country, from forests management, wetland protection, and waste management to air pollution control. 1. Gishwati-Mukura as UNESCO biosphere reserve In October 2020, Gishwati-Mukura national park was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The recognition, officials say, will raise the country’s profile as a tourist destination. In November, the same year, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) announced to open the Park for tourism. The park was handed over to RDB towards the end of 2019 after being restored by Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) at $9.5 million and in November 2020, Rwf900 million Gishwati-Mukura tourism headquarters were also handed over to RDB. Forest of Hope Guest House and Camp Site were opened to accommodate visitors in the new park. Earlier, RDB had signed a 25-year concession agreement with Imizi Ecotourism Development Ltd, a local company for the development of a multi-phased conservation and tourism management program for the park. The biosphere reserve has attractive animals such as golden monkeys, blue monkeys, and chimpanzees and over 130 bird species including endemic species that have to be protected. Of these bird species, 15 species uniquely appear in Gishwati-Mukura forest. A recent biodiversity survey showed that this forest is endowed with 492 plant species which are indigenous species and 22 mammal species. 2. Nyungwe Park gets management firm In October 2020, the Government through RDB entered a 20-year agreement with African Parks to manage and conserve Nyungwe National Park, the largest expanse of forest in the country. The agreement is expected to preserve the park’s rich biodiversity to secure long-term benefits for people and Rwanda’s wildlife. Nyungwe is home to a quarter of Africa’s primates – 13 species including chimpanzees and the extremely rare Hamlyn’s and L’Hoest’s monkeys. It accommodates more than 1,000 plants, over 90 mammals and 300 bird species if which many are endemic. The agreement will also see the expansion of tourism infrastructure and increase tourism marketing and promotion. The park provides 70 per cent of Rwanda’s water, according to RDB. It is important to note that Africa Parks also manages Akagera National Park. 3. Rwanda submits 10-year climate plan to UNFCC Rwanda, in May 2020, became the first African country to submit a new national climate plan to UNFCC, whose implementation requires $11 billion (10.2 trillion), as an essential tool to implement the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, aims to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius with an ambition to contain any increase at below 1.5 degrees. Rwanda’s climate plan will see top green investments include $380 million for efficient cook stoves to reduce firewood and fossil energy consumption for cooking, $285 million in the use of solar water pumping systems for irrigation and $206 million in the installation of solar mini-grids that could supply 68 MW (Mega Watt peak) in off-grid rural areas. They also include $900 million investment in electric vehicles, $36 million for generation of energy from waste, $24 million in climate resilient crops and livestock, $109.6 million in crop and livestock insurance, $24.9 million in afforestation as well as $91 million for agroforestry and Sustainable Agriculture. 4. Air pollution reduced in Kigali during lockdown Perhaps the few positive stories that are attributable to Covid-19 include the report that indicated a significant reduction in air pollutants in Kigali during the lockdown that was imposed in early 2020. According to the report by Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), lockdown led to a 20% air pollution decrease in Kigali. Reduced vehicle emissions as a result of banning unnecessary movements of people during the lockdown yielded greater air quality, said Dr Egide Kalisa, the Air Quality Specialist at REMA. Kigali, he added, recorded a decrease of more than 20 per cent for PM10 and 13 per cent for PM 2.5. 5. Facemask disposal guidelines issued As all people are recommended to wear face masks to prevent Covid-19 pandemic spreading. This led to a concern over whether these masks would not reverse the gains made towards safeguarding the environment, in case they are not well handled. However, in April 2020, the Government announced rules to guide the disposal of face masks as it moves to protect the environment. REMA says that solid waste must be sorted, collected and transported to appropriate destinations in accordance with the laws. Used face masks must be isolated from other wastes–in households and offices. 6. Rwanda Green Fund, REMA get new management A cabinet meeting held on July, 15, 2020 appointed Teddy Mugabo as the new CEO of Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA). The cabinet also appointed seven new members on the Board of Directors of the environment and climate change fund. The fund was set up to mobilise resources and scale up green investments in the country and it has mobilised almost 200 million dollars for mitigation and adaptation investments. In the same year, cabinet named Juliette Kabera as the new Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), replacing Coletha Ruhamya. 7. Rwf5bn Nyandungu Ecotourism project revised The creation of Nyandungu Ecotourism Park on 121 hectares was not completed this year (2020) as had earlier been scheduled. Funded by Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA), the project was designed in 2015 and works started in 2016. The budget had been increased twofold from the initial Rwf2.4 billion to Rwf5.04 billion. A revised working schedule was agreed upon with the contractor (Afrilandscapes Ltd) with a target to complete the project by end of May 2021, and the recreational park will be ready for use by the public, with official launch anticipated in July 2021. 8. Africa’s clean cooling centre of excellence The Rwandan Government formally launched, in December, the new African Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain (ACES) that is hosted in-country by the University of Rwanda. The facility will help get farmers’ produce to market quickly and efficiently – reducing food waste, boosting profits and creating jobs as well as look to improve cold-chains for vaccines and health, now recognised globally as a key challenge for Civid-19 immunisation. 9. Eviction from city wetlands A survey by REMA survey findings showed that there were 7,222 illegal activities, including industries in wetlands in Kigali. Out of these, 6500 were evicted according to city authorities. Funding from Global Environment Facility (GEF) through World Bank will help restore degraded wetlands including Gikondo wetland in the City of Kigali according to REMA. Survey findings released in February 2020, indicate that integrity status of Rwanda’s wetlands and their biodiversity is at about 60 per cent meaning that over 40 per cent have lost their quality due to encroachment. The Ministry of Environment and the City of Kigali have urged investors to venture into dedicated recreational zones as Kigali continues to build on its vibrancy. The call is in line with the Kigali City Master Plan and Wetland Master Plan as at least 6 percent of the City of Kigali has been set aside for recreational spaces in the new master plan. 10. Multibillion climate resilience projects In October 2020, Rwanda launched an ambitious $32.7 million landscape restoration project that seeks to restore the natural forests of Amayaga in Rwanda’s Southern Province and benefit 1.3 million Rwandans. It will be implemented by Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) in partnership with the Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA). A $6 million project announced in December is also set to build the country’s capacity to plan and implement climate change adaptation initiatives. The Rwf22bn project to curb floods into Sebeya River- across 4 administrative districts in Western Province - implemented by the Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Water Resources Board in collaboration with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) also created 8,000 jobs amid the Covid-19 crisis. It was funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) in Rwanda.
