New community committees for Rwanda’s national parks will give locals a structured role in park management, fostering co-ownership of conservation efforts, according to information from the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA).

They were established by a ministerial order of October 25, 2024, governing the community committee for a national park or state-owned nature reserve, which was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda on the same date.

The order was signed by the Minister of Environment, Valentine Uwamariya.

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Rwanda has four national parks, namely Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park, Gishwati-Mukura National Park, and Volcanoes National Park.

The committees act as a liaison between park authorities and communities, addressing grievances, educating locals, and promoting conservation awareness, Jean Luc Rukwaya, a biodiversity specialist at REMA told The New Times.

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Rationale for the committee establishment, expected contribution

Rukwaya indicated that the committees are a strategic move towards more collaborative, adaptive, and resilient conservation frameworks that can sustain both ecological and socio-economic goals, ensuring the long-term success of Rwanda's conservation efforts.

They were established to recognise that local community engagement is essential for the sustainable management of natural resources, he observed.

"These committees aim to bridge the gap between conservation authorities and communities to enhance cooperation, local voices for decision-making and promoting community-led conservation initiatives,” he said.

"The committees play an important role to cultivate a sense of ownership and responsibility among residents around the park. This reduces conflicts over land use, mitigates illegal activities, and encourages communities to act as protectors of these areas,” he pointed out.

Though the committees are new, the parks had a framework of working with the surrounding communities in the protection of the park, but they were stakeholders and collaboration was informal and their functions were not defined as well as their responsibilities, he said.

This is addressed through the formal framework provided for by the ministerial order.

"The committee structure strengthens community-based conservation networks, which align with Rwanda's national conservation strategies and its commitments to global frameworks, like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” Rukwaya said.

Education and engagement of local community

As per the ministerial order, the committee [of each national park or State-owned nature reserve] recommends training areas to enable both the Committee and the local community to effectively fulfil their environmental conservation duty.

In collaboration with a national park or State-owned nature reserve management and the Authority, the committee is responsible for the establishment of a list of local communities eligible for training in national park or State-owned nature reserve management.

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

Again, the committee provides a list of recommended employees for the national parks or State-owned nature reserves.

Committee composition, member criteria

Regarding composition, the order provides that the committee comprises members including five persons representing the local community elected through a voting process.

The vote of these five members is done in collaboration with the national park or State-owned nature reserve management and the district administration or through delegation made to the concerned sectors.

Other members are a representative of decentralised entities where the national park or State-owned nature reserve is located upon request by the Authority; a representative of the national park or State-owned nature reserve upon request by the Authority; and a representative of national nongovernmental organisations operating in the districts where the national park or State-owned nature reserve is located upon request by the Authority.

If a national park or State-owned nature reserve is located in more than one District, each District is represented in the Committee.

The order indicated that criteria that must be taken into consideration while choosing the committee members include gender balance; integrity; youth representation; representation of persons with disabilities; representation of the private sector; and knowledge in environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.

Each committee has a bureau, which is its executive organ. It is composed of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson, and the Secretary.

The decision of the committee is made by consensus of the members present, and in case consensus cannot be reached, it is made by a two-thirds majority of the members present, according to the ministerial order.