People interested in conservation, and who meet requirements, can now own nature reserves in Rwanda, after being granted a licence from a competent authority, according to a new ministerial order.

A nature reserve is a piece of land owned by a State or a person set aside for the purpose of preserving certain animal or plant species to ensure overall protection of the environment and sustainable production.

The Ministerial Order relating to a nature reserve of a person – which can also be called a private nature reserve – was published in Rwanda’s official gazette on October 25.

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It comes to enable the implementation of the law of January 13, 2023, governing national parks and nature reserves.

In its article 14 – about a nature reserve owned by a person – the law provides that a person may own a nature reserve subject to a license provided by the authority, adding that an order of the minister [in charge of national parks and nature reserves] determines modalities, requirements and stages for a person to own a nature reserve.

Before such legal provision, only the government had right to legal nature reserve ownership, according to information from the Ministry of Environment.

The authority referred to in the current law is a public institution or specialised organ in charge of management and development of national parks and natural reserves – which is, currently, Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

Requirements for owning a nature reserve

According to the ministerial order, an applicant who wishes to own a nature reserve fulfils 10 requirements.

They include an application letter addressed to the [competent] authority, a filled application form, a detailed environmental and social impact assessment report, a detailed conservation and management plan of a nature reserve, a business plan, and a title of land designated for a nature reserve.

The applicant must also have sufficient capital to manage the proposed nature reserve for at least five years, show proof of knowledge and skills necessary to preserve nature reserve, and not to have been convicted of a crime involving species trafficking or an offense classified as a felony under Rwandan or foreign criminal law, or as an international crime.

The applicant must also show proof of payment of a nonrefundable application fee determined by the authority.

The ministerial order provides that the authority grants to an applicant a license for owning a nature reserve upon payment of fees specified by it [the authority], adding that such a license is valid for five years renewable.

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Nine reasons for owning a nature reserve

A person may own a nature reserve for nine reasons, as per the ministerial order.

The reasons are: