Explainer: Rwanda’s journey to restore two million hectares of degraded land

Rwanda's delegation is attending the Sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16), which runs from October 21 to November 1, 2024, in Cali, Colombia. Under the theme Peace with Nature, COP16 marks the first COP meeting since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in 2022. Amidst a crisis where the decline in nature threatens the survival of 1 million species and impacts billions of people globally, the GBF aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. ALSO READ: Rwanda loses over Rwf800bn annually due to soil erosion The GBF includes targets to protect and sustainably use biodiversity by 2030 and beyond. These targets include conserving 30% of land, sea, and inland waters, restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems, reducing the introduction of invasive species by half, and decreasing harmful subsidies by $500 billion per year. Rwanda is committed to restoring two million hectares of degraded land and forests by 2030, standing among the few countries to achieve a significant reversal in declining forest cover and land degradation. According to the World Resources Institute, degraded land has lost some degree of its natural productivity due to human activities. Key drivers of land and forest degradation Globally, the main causes of land degradation include unsustainable resource management, vegetation clearance, nutrient depletion, overgrazing, improper irrigation, excessive agrochemical use, urban expansion, pollution, and mining activities. ALSO READ: Land degradation costs Rwanda $70 million annually In Rwanda, the Minister of Environment notes that cropland expansion is responsible for 70–80% of forest degradation. Over 745,000 hectares of agricultural land in Rwanda lose valuable topsoil annually, with soil erosion costing the country over Rwf800 billion each year. More than 40,000 tonnes of soil flow directly into unprotected rivers and streams annually. How is Rwanda Restoring 2 Million Hectares of Degraded Land? Land restoration involves halting degradation or rehabilitating degraded land through methods such as reforestation, soil conservation, and ecosystem protection. The Ministry of Environment says the government is restoring land through a variety of practices, beyond merely planting trees and forests. The methods include; constructing benches and progressive terraces, implementing climate-smart agriculture, creating trenches, and planting vegetation along contour lines to prevent erosion. 68% of degraded land restored According to the Rwanda Forestry Authority, the two million hectares targeted for restoration represent 75% of the country’s land area. Currently, 68% of this land has been successfully restored. We are at 68% of the goal to restore 2 million hectares, following our national commitment to the Bonn Challenge by 2030. Restoration involves more than just tree planting. While tree planting is essential, we also use practices like bench and progressive terraces, trenches on steep slopes, planting grasses and shrubs along contour lines, sustainable agriculture, and agroforestry, said Concorde Nsengumuremyi, Director General of the Rwanda Forestry Authority. ALSO READ: Govt to use Rwf23bn to restore degraded forests One key challenge to reaching restoration targets is securing sufficient funding. The Ministry of Environment says that $652 million has been invested in forest landscape restoration programs, creating approximately 200,000 green jobs since 2024. Rwanda's forest cover stands at 724,662 hectares, covering 34% of the country’s land area. This includes 53% plantations, 21% wooded savannas, 19% natural mountain rainforests, and 6.2% shrubland.

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Explainer: Rwanda’s journey to restore two million hectares of degraded land