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Saving Rwanda forests by 2035 becomes a national priority

10.03.2011

At the launch of the United Nations International Year of Forests, the Rwandan minister of land and the environment, Stanislas Kamanzi, announced a forest landscape restoration initiative, being the first developing country making such a commitment nationally. The situation is urgent as in 1994 after the genocide large part of the protected areas, such as the Akagera and the Gishwati national park, were swept away to re-house almost a million refugees. As a consequence, the number of wild animals such as mountain gorillas living in these sanctuaries has plummeted. Wilderness restoration is a difficult task and foreign expertise is needed to build awareness among nationals that Rwanda will only be able to reduce poverty by restoring its environment.