Collective effort to rehabilitate Gishwati forest

NYABIHU – Environmentalists drawn from 33 conservation projects in the country have started a campaign of reforesting Gishwati. The representatives of the projects funded by Global Environmental Facility-GEF, through the Small Grant Program (SGP), on Tuesday joined residents in a tree planting exercise during which over 3000 trees were planted. The Director General of REMA, Rose Mukankomeje who attended the planting exercise, welcomed the initiative, saying rehabilitating Giswati forest needs a combined effort if reverse the effects of environmental degradation are to be achieved. As part of the conservation campaign in Bigogwe sector, Nyabihu district, the government has embarked on evicting families which had encroached on the forests. According to the district Mayor, Jean Damascene Ndagijimana, over 280 families have been resettled while over 1000 others will be relocated soon. Laure Bitetera Kananura, the coordinator of Small Grants Programme, said that their campaign was in response to the effects of environmental degradation in the area which include landslides and floods. The Small Grants Programme has been working with communities to combat the most critical environmental problems in the country, she said. Ends