IGIHE

Category: Environment

  • Drought Affected Performance Contracts in Kayonza

    {{Kayonza District experienced severe drought in 2012 and the later affected performance targets that the District had established to ensure sustainable economic growth.}}

    The District Mayor Mugabo John said that some of the targets were not achieved due to the drought that heavily affected agriculture and livestock sector within the District.

    Speaking to media, Mugabo said although performance contracts are well progressing it is obvious that agriculture production has decreased within the season of 2012/2013.

    The drought hit about 8 sectors of the District. Maize and beans production dropped and there was an outbreak cattle disease known as “Uburenge” which affected Livestock production.

  • Musanze Residents Urged to fight Soil Erosion

    {{Rwanda Minister of Natural resources Stanislas Kamanzi has urged residents in Musanze District to join efforts in the fight against soil erosion on hills surrounding Mugogo wetland.}}

    Kamanzi said that lack of measures to curb erosion on the hills could affect quality of water as well as destroying about 50 ha that were rehabilitated by Rwanda Reserve forces.

    “I want you to take measures to protect this wetland. You are supposed to fight soil erosion in your farms by planting grasses and making trenches to avoid eroding of land”.

    With the support of the Rwanda reserve forces, about 50 ha of the wetland have been drained so that water can pass without affecting nearby gardens.

  • Lightening Strikes ADEPR Church

    {{Yesterday at about 11 o’clock, thunder destroyed ADEPR Church which was under construction in Nyamagabe District.}}

    The Church was in final phase of construction valued at Frw35M.

    The church is located in Bande Village in Nyarusiza Cell of Kamegeri Sector, Nyamagabe District.

    Kabagire Charles who leads ADEPR-Gikongoro said they are sad because the church was destroyed.

    Executive Secretary of Kamegeri Sector Gahizi Faustin told media that he will organize a special community work to rebuild the church as well as encouraging more support to ADEPR.

    Nyamagabe is prone to lightening strikes.

    In 2012 the District embarked on measures to address the issue threatening the lives of people and livestock while destroying other valuable properties in the district.

  • 57 Rhinos Killed in South Africa so far in 2013

    {{Officials in South Africa say that 57 rhinos have been killed by poachers across the country so far this year.}}

    The Department of Environmental Affairs said Thursday that recent floods in Kruger National Park, thick vegetation and two weeks of bright moonlight contributed to the high number of deaths.

    The department said 18 suspected poachers have been arrested this year.

    A record 668 rhinos were killed in South Africa in 2012, an increase of nearly 50 percent over the previous year.

    Demand is growing in Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia where rhino horn is believed to have medical benefits despite evidence to the contrary.

    The horn is made of keratin, a protein also found in human fingernails.

    Elephant poaching — for the beasts’ ivory tusks —is also rising across Africa.

  • Residents of Sebeya River Bank Get New Houses

    {{About 42 vulnerable families relocated from Sebeya River banks to safe areas received houses that were built by Government of Rwanda through the two Ministries namely MINADEF and MINIRENA.}}

    Other 86 were also assisted through provision of construction materials so they can build up their new houses, out of the river protection zone.

    The relocation took about Rwf 145 Million and was in line with the protection and rehabilitation of some critically degraded watersheds, the main one being the Sebeya watershed in Rubavu District.

    During the handover ceremony, Rwanda Minister of Defense, James Kabarebe asked beneficiaries to respect Government advices noting that the later will lead them to their socio economic wellbeing.

    Reserve forces were among those who actively contributed to the construction of the houses.

    Rwanda Minister of Natural Resources Stanislas Kamanzi urged beneficiaries to keep protecting Sebeya River adding that they should plant more trees in their villages.

    Sebeya river watershed is located within an area of 286 Sq. Kms spanning over three Districts; Rutsiro, Ngororero and Rubavu.

  • Fresh Air in Cans on Demand in China

    {{For the fourth time this year, a murky haze has descended over north China, leaving residents of Beijing choking on toxic smog.}}

    China’s air hasn’t been this bad since 1954, according to the state-run People’s Daily newspaper.

    In a remarkable record of dirty air, 24 out of January’s first 29 days this year had air classified as hazardous. And the skies have still not cleared.

    The Air Quality Index from the U.S. embassy, designed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, shows that the concentration of fine particulate matter, known as PM 2.5, has been hovering at the top of the scale since last Friday.

    It’s in a range described as “hazardous” and calls for protective measures to be taken.

    Visibility is reduced to 100 yards in downtown Beijing. Travel has been disrupted with more than 100 flights cancelled, at a time when millions start the journey home for Chinese New Year.

    The air is so bad that wealthy Chinese entrepreneur, Chen Guangbiao, is selling fresh air in soft drinks cans, similar to bottled drinking water. Each can is sold for 5RMB or about 80 cents.

    Chen is well known for his charitable donations and publicity stunts. He says he wants to stimulate awareness of environmental protection among government officials and citizens by selling the canned fresh air.

    Read more…..http://abcnews.go.com/International/chinas-filthy-air-prompts-mask-rush-cans-fresh/story?id=18352787

  • Water Resources Information Bulletin No 06 for December 2012

    {{Here is a bulletin presenting the monthly discharge characteristics and daily discharge hydrographs of six hydrometric stations for the period of December 2012.}}

    click to open

    Hydrological_Bulletin_No_06.pdf

  • Pygmy Elephants Found Dead in Borneo

    {{Ten endangered pygmy elephants found dead this month are thought to have been poisoned, Malaysian officials said Tuesday as they released poignant photos of a calf nuzzling the body of its mother.}}

    Wildlife authorities in Sabah, a state on the east of Borneo island, have formed a taskforce together with the police and WWF to investigate the deaths.

    Laurentius Ambu, Sabah wildlife department director, said it received a report last Wednesday of four dead pygmy elephants in the Gunung Rara forest reserve.

    But officials were “shocked” to find another four of the animals, a rare sub-species of the Asian elephant, dead or dying after inspecting the area for two days, he said.

    “Early this year, two highly decomposed elephant carcasses were found in the general vicinity of where these eight animals were found.

    We believe that all the deaths of these elephants are related,” he said in a statement.

    Sen Nathan, the department’s senior veterinarian, said in the statement “we highly suspect” the animals died due to poisoning after finding severe ulceration and bleeding in their digestive tracts.

    “It was actually a very sad sight to see all those dead elephants, especially one of the dead females who had a very young calf of about three months old. The calf was trying to wake the dead mother up,” he said.

    Masidi Manjun, the state’s environment minister, vowed to take tough action if the animals were found to have been deliberately poisoned.

    “If indeed these poor elephants were maliciously poisoned I would personally make sure that the culprits would be brought to justice and pay for their crime,” he said in the statement.

    There are fewer than 2,000 Borneo pygmy elephants, which are smaller and have more rounded features compared to normal Asian elephants, left in the wild, according to authorities.

    Activists warn that pygmy elephants are fast losing their natural habitat to deforestation and human encroachment on Borneo, a vast island shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

    {Wirestory}

  • Rwanda to Totally Eradicate Polythene Bags

    {{Government has called for the eradication of plastic bags in the whole country. }}

    The Call was made yesterday during a meeting with Government officials heading institutions in charge of environmental protection especially within the context of eradication of polythene bags.

    Among the recommendations of the meeting a person caught in the act of using polythene bags will be punished.

    It was decided that during community work scheduled for January 26. Emphasis will be on elimination of plastic bags in the Country.

    Prime Minister Dr. Habumuremyi urged concerned institutions to work and speed up the investment procedures for non bio-degradable plastic bags.

    Local authorities were tasked to install dust bins especially in towns, and also public transport vehicles urged to provide within their cars dust bin for passengers.

    Petrol stations have been given two months to provide public toilets for passengers and establish “rest stations” along highways connecting provinces and Kigali City.

  • Every District to Have Weather Station

    {{Rwanda Meteorological Agency (Meteo Rwanda), is continuously upgrading its network of meteorological stations around the country.}}

    The Ministry of Infrastructure has said in order to expand and modernize the network, Meteo Rwanda plans to have at least one Agro meteorological station in every District of the country and in the near future, many other stations will be equipped with automatic sensors which will enable the transmission of weather information in a very possible short range of time.

    Currently, Meteorological network of stations is comprise of 13 Agro meteorological Stations, 17 Automatic Weather Stations, 72 Climatological Stations, and 71 Rainfall Stations around the country.

    Rwanda Meteorological Agency (Meteo Rwanda) operates under the Ministry of Infrastructure, with the mission of Providing accurate, timely weather and climate information and meteorological products for the general welfare of the People.