NORTHERN PROVINCE

GICUMBI — The district official in charge of environment Emille Nyakabo has decried the high rate of forest depletion in the district. He  blamed it on Miyove prison and Gihembe refugee camp.

Nyakabo said the rate at which trees are cut for firewood and furniture is high compared to trees planted annually in the district.

"Trees are planted every year but their rate of depletion is very high,” said Nyakabo.

Other organisations blamed for the depletion include schools and tea factories in the district that reportedly use a lot of firewood on daily basis.

He was speaking at a one-day seminar on environmental conservation this Wednesday at the district headquarters. He urged participants to plant trees along the Kigali- Gatuna road to protect running water from destroying  the road.

In response, the prison director Prosperi Mugororotsi said plans were underway to use Bio-gas at the prison in order to reduce firewood consumption.

"This project is being carried out with the assistance of Kigali Institute of Technology (KIST),” said Mugororotsi.

Augustine Munyobyi of UNHCR said Gihembe refugee camp adheres to environment protection by planting trees along the camp. He explained that they have planted tree nursery beds at the camp which would also benefit area residents.

"Energy saving cook-stoves are also being introduced at the camp,” said Munyobyi.

The seminar attracted cell and sector executive secretaries of the district, directors of SORWATE and Mulindi Tea factories, religious leaders and Secondary school head teachers among others.

In his speech the Mayor Bonane Nyangezi commended the participants for their turn up and urged them to apply the knowledge acquired at the seminar in their respective localities.

"You should be the light of those you represent,” he said.

The Vice Mayor for Economic Affairs Ildephonse Butera noted that it is the duty of leaders at all levels to protect the environment by sensitising the population to plant trees and use energy saving cook stoves.

He stressed the need to plant more trees in the district by planting at least 30 trees in every home including 10 agro forest trees.

"Each cell, sector, institution and school should have a tree nursery bed to serve the entire community around,” said Butera.

Sylilo Turatsinze of Rwanda Environment Management Authority [REMA], advised participants to sensitise the population on the formation of tree seeds cooperatives.

"The residents under cooperatives shall be availed with technical knowledge on tree seed production by ISAR, to be self sufficient instead of spending a lot of money on seeds,” said Turatsinze.

He further urged the participants to enlighten the population on the importance of planting trees in crop gardens to maximise land use.

"Besides trees protecting the environment, he said, they also attract bees which produce honey”.

As part of the seminar participants were treated to a film depicting efforts made by the district to protect the environment through construction of terraces at Kaniga Sector and tree planting along the Kigali- Gatuna road.

Ends