RDB’s environmental specialists at Nyungwe National Park are in fear of environmental and natural resource destruction with in the park that may be a result from the ongoing process of a 32km road rehabilitation from Pindura, a junction at the main road within the park connecting to Bweyeye Sector at the Burundi boarder. It is meant to be widened up to 7 meters.
The road construction had been put to halt for almost two years due to misunderstandings between road contactors under the supervision by MININFRA and the park’s management authority that is under Rwanda Development Board.
Speaking to igihe.com at Bweyeye Sector, Patrice Nzamuye who is in charge of Nyungwe NP protection and Law Enforcement Warden noted; “As you can see yourself, there will be a lot of negative consequences affecting natural resources. For example the falling debris and degradation will contaminate the river tributaries; there will be cutting down of trees, querying murram within the park among others which is really against the law of conserving environment.”
He says that he is not opposing the road rehabilitation that will be helpful to many people living in the area. Instead there should be a clear study and also collaboration between the two parties so that the eco-system in the park is not much affected.
It’s the only biggest natural forest that has high mountains in the whole of Africa and thus careful construction and study on the project’s impact onto the park ecosystem be made.
“The Ministry of Infrastructure should cooperate with environmentalists and formulate possible ways of rehabilitating this road as expected. We even direct them to other areas outside the park where murram can be got in case they approach us,” Nzamuye said.
Fidele Ruziganderwe who does Monitoring and Evaluation at the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Society said; “The National Park is so important not only to our country but also the whole world in terms of preserving ecosystem, promoting tourism sector among others and incase of continued destruction, there will be a big loss to our country and the world in general.”
According to him; 70% of the Rwanda’s natural water has its source at Nyungwe NP and also that if contaminated, it will pose a big risk.
Juvenal Harerimana a resident of Bweyeye sector in Rusizi district urged; “government should help us and make this road finished because the transport here is a big challenge to all of us as the residents of this area.”
“Two heads are better than one, so let leaders from the two parties heed to our plea so that the problem can get rectified because both the road and the NP are all important to us,” Harerimana added.
For a person to walk from Pindura to Bweyeye it takes over 7hrs, riding bicycles takes approximately 3hrs and hiring a motorcycle costs Rwf7000, while one using a car, the 32kms takes almost 2hrs drive.
“Our produces are not accessed to the market just because of this ditched road and sometimes, one to go to Cyangugu has to pass through Burindi and then connect there, which is also difficult to those people that do not have boarder pass permits,” Jean Pierre Twagirayezu told igihe.com.
Bweyeye Sector officials attribute that, as the Minister of Natural Resources Stanislas Kamanzi had confirmed earlier; the road construction should be done and materials like murram should be got from the national park.
“We recognize the importance of the two and are all necessary but then after the road construction, there can be rehabilitation on the destroyed resources like replanting of trees by both the road contractors and also village citizens, through communal work and we can make it happen. Like the Minister said, all materials should be got from the park,” Joseph Rusaya, the Executive Secretary Bweyeye sector in Rusizi district.
What does the top brass officials from two parties attribute towards the saga?
Rose Mukankomeje, the Director General REMA comments; “We are not against Rwanda’s development but we also have to protect natural resources and ensure the sustainable management. Its over 60% of the rain we receive in Rwanda that come from Nyungwe and that’s why we have to manage it carefully as Rwanda’s heart.”
“During the meeting with MININFRA, we had agreed to go to this area together and find well established sites where to get murram and after they were supposed to show environmental management plan to us but when the team went there, MININFRA’s technical team did not come into agreement with us just because they don’t want to comply with us,” Mukankomeje added.
“For us we don’t want conflicts with MININFRA because the road is also for our people but we need a well defined policy over the project with a clear document presented,” she pointed out.
MININFRA’s Minister of State in charge of Transport noted; “For us we followed procedures as were required and we even came into agreement that materials for the road project should come from within the park. In charge people for environment should conduct training to the road contractors upon the environment policy instead of stopping the road construction.”
Speaking to the MINIRENA’s Minister is still futile but we shall keep you updated upon the issue.
What does the law say about the issue?
According to the organic law n. 04/2005 of 08/04/2005 that determines the modalities of protection, conservation and promotion of environment in Rwanda; article no. 29 says that no competent authority, in accordance with the existing laws, can issue permission for the construction in cases where such constructions may degregade the environment
Article 31 says; every government project or private individual activities can not be permitted to operate if they are contrary to their plan and shall aim at considering the strategies of conservation of environment as provided by the law.
To be continued…
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