MUSANZE- A local conservation organisation, Rwanda Afforestation Support Program (PAREF), has called upon local authorities to monitor public forests to avert degradation by encroachers.

The coordinator of PAREF, Claudian Habimana, made the remarks while presenting their achievements before the Musanze District Joint Action Forum-JAF.

According to Musanze Vice Mayor, Jerome Mugenzi, the project which operates in nine districts including five from the Northern Province, has supported Musanze to plant trees on over 461ha, and 164 ha along the roads.

"We are moving towards a more sustainable environmental protection phase, the local people will have to protect the forests, we have reached 92 percent of our target. We are now planning to plant over 500 ha,’’ Mugenzi said.

PAREF’s five-year project is jointly funded by the kingdoms of the Netherlands and Belgium to plant trees on over 2,000 hectares and improve forestry management on over 10,000 ha across the country.

The project is involved in forestation of public lands, reconversion of degraded public forests, and agro-forestry.

"We have to ensure that the degradation of resources is under control. The implementation of the national forest policy contributes to poverty reduction and economic growth,” Habimana said, stressing that there is need for constant monitoring of the resources.”

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