Youth participating and exhibiting their conservation activities at the ongoing Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) have requested funders to unlock climate finance doors to support youth-led organisations to conserve biodiversity.

According to Jean-Claude Dusabimana, the Executive Director of Nature Rwanda, a non-governmental organisation of which he is co-founder, local non-government organisations are facing challenges in terms of access to climate finance.

This he said hinders implementation of projects aimed at protecting the environment and fighting climate change.

"The funders have no trust in them as they think such youth-led organisations can’t manage such a huge amount of funds,” he said.

Created by university graduates in 2016, Nature Rwanda is striving to save hooded vultures, one of biodiversity species that are critically endangered.

The group is also reviving Mpenge River in Musanze secondary city, which is home to a wide range of animal and plant species and offers several ecosystem services to the community in Musanze city.

Mpenge River was highly threatened by human activity-encroachment on agriculture and pollution posed a serious threat to the river’s health.

Consequently, biodiversity has been massively affected, as evidenced by the migration and local extinction of certain species like the Grey crowned crane and the hooded vulture.

"Today after restoration, Grey crowned cranes that had disappeared returned among other several migrated bird species that are attractive to tourists,” Dusabimana said.

Over 5,000 indigenous tree species have been planted in the river’s buffer zone.

Despite such achievements, youth said there is need for more funding to ensure sustainable conservation and restored biodiversity.

"Because such local organisations have not managed billions of funding before, they are not credible to funders who think they can manage that kind of funding. There is a need for working in umbrellas to attract funds by building trust but they are not doing so.

"Another barrier that is hindering access to finance is how funders plan earlier for what the money has to do yet local organisations are on the field with knowledge about interventions that are needed. So, when they apply, the projects are rejected by funders,” he noted.

Rodrigue Kaje, the Coordinator of Rwanda Youth Biodiversity Network, revealed that nine youth-led organisations and 408 youth have been admitted as members of the network so far.

He said that over 200 youth who studied environmental related fields are on a pending list to be admitted as members.

"These youth need partners, guidance, mentorship and finance to implement their innovative biodiversity conservation projects but finance is still locked by different barriers which should be addressed. Funders should have trust in youth-led organisations,” he said.

Prosper Iradukunda, representative of Rwanda MAB Youth network, said that to engage youth in biosphere reserve management requires support.

Two biosphere reserves in Rwanda include protected areas such as Volcanoes National Park, Gishwati Mukura National Park. Rwanda has also recently requested to nominate Nyungwe National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"We bring youth-led initiatives into the biosphere reserves. But they need finance to be able to implement more. They have different written initiatives and projects, and youth always lack implementation due to lack of funding. Getting funds will motivate youth in conservation,” he said.

According to Peter Moll, a Kenyan young activist, the Pan-African trust fund that is being established should build the capacity of youth in conservation at the grass root level; to build credibility to have and receive funds from different sources.