The land of a thousand hills suffered series of massive deforestation, depletion of bio-diversity, erosion, landslides, pollution of waterways and degradation of fragile ecosystems such as swamps and wetlands. This is because; the country is small on size yet having a growing population. For the government to control the situation, it has implemented control policies for environmental conservation aimed at propelling the country’s green growth for the next five years.
According to President Paul Kagame – Rwanda as a developing country looks forward to development and economic growth, but is not making a choice between environment and prosperity, but rather how to promote growth with out harming the environment. This was when speaking at the Climate Change panel at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos. For example, so as to protect and preserve environment, 30,739,957 trees were planted in 2014 as part of agro-forestry and restoring ecosystems.
By year 2018, Rwanda aims to have 30% of its surface area covered by forests, up from 28.8% in 2014.
Every year, Rwanda will plant trees on 8,150 hectares to achieve that target. This year the country launched the Fund for the Environment and Climate Change, a groundbreaking, biggest of its kind initiative in Africa.
Kagame the president of Rwanda further explains that the government has setup a climate change fund and mobilised $75Million partly funded by government and through partners.”
This shows there is urgency, he added. “If it can work at national level in Rwanda, then it can work elsewhere and globally.”
The fund will be the engine of green growth in Rwanda and promotion of tours in Rwanda which is the country’s biggest exchange earner hence the great need for mobilizing and channeling domestic and international financing to public and private environment and climate change projects.
According to government, the fund has received over 1,000 funding submissions, approved 18 projects and trained over 750 stakeholders in proposal development.
The fund is aiming at $100mil annually, and had set its target to 2020, creating 5,000 green jobs in Rwanda and preventing the emission of thousands of tons of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. The green fund will support projects that align with the country’s commitment to a strong and prosperous green economy.
Meanwhile, mountain gorilla conservation has also gained more attention in the past ten years and contributed enormously to the country’s tourism revenues. For More Info on gorilla tourism visit; rwandagorillassafari.com
Rwanda’s protected savannah region in the east of the country hosts 1,122km2-wide Akagera National Park with varieties of species. Last year Rwanda attracted 1.17 million visitors and earned $303 million from tourism.
