As Rwanda marks the annual World Environment Day, on June 5, officials have pledged to act and stop the loss of 27 million tonnes of soil washed away into rivers every year due to erosion. This comes as the global community is celebrating World Environment Day with focus on land restoration, desertification and building resilience against drought.
The 2024 World Environment Day’s theme is "Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience”.
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The Minister of Environment, Jeanne D’ Arc Mujawamariya, on June 4, called for action against soil erosion and measures to prevent drought.
"Rwanda loses 27 million tons of soil, equivalent to 1,350,000 trucks full of loads of soil due to soil erosion and flooding. This soil leading to a loss of Rfw810 billion, is lost to erosion. If we do not take action, we will continue to lose trucks every year, and without effort, this will lead to drought,” she stated.
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The minister said the government is looking to soil conservation projects, requiring an investment of Rfw513 billion to enhance resilience against erosion. She said immediate action is needed to stop the degradation of land and forests.
Last month, the Ministry of Environment launched a $18 million (approximately Rwf23 billion) project to restore degraded land and forests in Southern and Northern provinces. Mujawamariya, said the project running from 2024 to 2028 will be implemented in all Southern Province districts and Gakenke District in Northern Province.
"Without these efforts, increasing agricultural production will become impossible and a growing population will have to rely on diminishing resources. Our land is already facing erosion, and if we do not act now, drought will become a threat,” she emphasized.
She cited different projects such as Green Gicumbi Project meant to help deal with climate change by building resilience of communities.
"Our goal is to replicate the success of Green Gicumbi in other areas such as Ruhango and Nyanza districts, " she added.
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Juliet Kabera, the Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority, stated that 90% of cultivated land in Rwanda is on steep mountain slopes, citing regions like Ngororero and Karongi.
"The slopes of these mountains are highly prone to soil erosion. We are putting much effort into addressing the serious erosion problems in these areas," she explained.
Rwanda is implementing different land restoration projects including wetland restoration projects.
"So far, progress has been made. For example, we made significant progress in rehabilitating Rugezi Swamp. In 2018, the swamp had dried up, leading to a loss of electricity since it supplies water to Ntaruka Dam,” Kabera said.
Additionally, she highlighted that forest areas such as Gishwati-Mukura National Park were reclaimed and are now recognised by UNESCO biosphere reserve. The Gishwati-Mukura landscape was named among the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in October 2020. The Gishwati-Mukura landscape located in Western Province joined the Volcanoes Biosphere Reserve in north-west Rwanda, which was also approved as a Biosphere Reserve in 1983.
"There is still much to be done. We are losing land at an alarming rate. If we do not act quickly, both our land and the money we have put into it will be lost.”
Over the past 30 years, Rwanda has achieved significant progress in land restoration, increasing forest cover to 30.4% of the national land.
Since 2010, up to 708,628 hectares of degraded land, forests, and wetlands have been restored through 44 projects.
Rwanda has committed to restoring two million hectares, equivalent to 76% of the national land, under the Bonn Challenge, a global goal to bring 150 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes into restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.