During the event held on Monday 18th July 2022, Premier Ngirente was joined by officials including Hailemariam Desalegn, the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta and the Minister of Environment, Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya.
The inauguration took place at a time when Rwanda is hosting Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC).
The congress running between 18th and 23rd July 2022 is organized by African Wildlife Foundation, an international conservation organization focused exclusively on Africa’s wildlife and wild lands.
The first Africa Protected Area Congress underway in Kigali is intended to further enhance the status of conservation in Africa by engaging governments, the private sector, civil society, indigenous peoples and local communities, academia to shape Africa’s Protected and Conserved Areas Agenda to better deliver benefits for people and nature.
The Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), Juliet Kabera has explained that Nyandungu Eco-Park is located in a wetland that was seriously degraded.
She revealed that the project is the beginning for the restoration of five more wetlands in Kigali City.
Martine Urujeni, Kigali City Vice Mayor in charge of Socio-Economic Affairs has revealed that protecting the environment will help Rwanda to keep moving forward with its vision of green economy.
She requested Rwandans to protect wetlands and thanked partners helping the city to remain clean and promote green economy.
Urujeni also assured the city’s support to activities mean to enhance conservation of the Nyandungu Eco-Park.
During the event, Premier Ngirente and accompanying officials planted trees for environmental conservation.
Nyandungu Eco-Park was open to public on 8th July 2022. QA Venue Solutions, which also operates BK Arena, will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the park and offer guided tours to visitors and its attractions.
The opening of Nyandungu Eco-Park represents the single largest addition to public green space in Kigali in the city’s history.
The park provides a space for residents and visitors to the city to explore and learn from nature, and is part of Rwanda’s efforts to harness eco-tourism to restore biodiversity and conserve urban wetland ecosystems.
The restoration of the wetland and creation of an eco-tourism park was funded by the Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) with support from the UK Government, the Italian Government through the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the UN Environment Programme.
The six-year initiative has restored the Nyandungu wetland ecosystem and promoted the sustainable management of natural resources. The initiative has also created approximately 4,000 green jobs.
The rapid growth of Kigali and the associated human activities have put significant pressure on the wetlands. Wetlands, including Nyandungu, have been degraded and this led to biodiversity loss. Encroachment has also resulted in downstream flooding as well as increased pollution due sewage outflows.
In 2016, the Government of Rwanda through REMA developed the Nyandungu restoration project to respond to these challenges and demonstrate the potential of wetlands to abate pollution and reduce the risk of flooding in urban areas.
Since then, the Rwf 4.5 billion project has restored critical habitats, including a native fig forest and the wetland itself, and rehabilitated streams and ponds to alleviate floods and reed-beds to reduce pollution.
Stretched on 121.7 hectares in size, including 70 hectares of wetland and 50 hectares of forest; the wetland also features a medicinal garden, a Pope’s Garden, five catchment ponds, three recreation ponds, a 10km network of walking and cycling paths, viewing areas, picnic areas, an information centre, and a restaurant among other facilities.
It is home to more than 62 local plant species and over 100 bird species.
Leave a Reply