Regional
How Rwanda is investing in ecotourism, conservation
It is not by accident that Rwanda has quickly risen
to be one of the world's must-see destinations thanks to the country’s
commitment to conservation and responsible tourism. Rwanda is a rare example of
how, for example, luxury eco-tourism is driving the country’s travel industry
to great heights.
Rwanda
is located in the Albertine Rift, a region considered especially rich in
biodiversity, making it ideal for conservation and ecotourism. From the
protection of national parks to advancing responsible tourism, the country has
demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting biodiversity conservation,
payment for ecosystem services, and sustainable travel.
This
commitment was formalised through Rwanda’s Green Growth and Climate Resilience
Strategy, which includes Ecotourism, Conservation and Payment of Ecosystem
Services’ as one of 14 programmes of action.
Here
are five ways Rwanda is promoting ecotourism and conserving its natural heritage.
Creation of Gishwati-Mukura National Park
and designation as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
In
2016, Gishwati-Mukura, Rwanda’s fourth national park, was established as a
legally protected area. Four years later, the landscape was named among the
World Network of Biosphere Reserves by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The UNESCO World Network of
Biosphere Reserves covers internationally designated protected areas, known as
biosphere reserves, which are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship
between people and nature.
Gishwati
Mukura is made up of two separate forests – the larger Gishwati and small
Mukura, forming a total of 34 square kilometres plus a buffer zone.
Home
to a group of 20 chimpanzees which live alongside golden monkeys, L’Hoest’s and
Blue Monkeys, the forests sit on the ridge which divides the Congo and Nile
water catchment areas, along the incredibly biodiverse Albertine Rift in
the west of the country. It is made up of 60 species of tree, including
indigenous hardwoods and bamboo.
The
rehabilitation of the Gishwati-Mukura landscape and the creation of the
national park was made possible by the Landscape Approach to Forest Restoration
and Conservation (LAFREC) project implemented by Rwanda Environment Management
Authority with the support of the Global Environment Facility through the World
Bank, and the Forest of Hope Association.
This
achievement has led to the sustainable conservation and management of
Gishwati-Mukura National Park, new opportunities for community empowerment,
education and research for sustainable development as well as for eco- and
community tourism.
Mountain gorilla conservation and
re-introduction of threatened and endangered species
The
Government of Rwanda, through the Rwanda Development Board and in collaboration
with conservation partners, achieved success in protecting and increasing the
endangered mountain gorilla population and conserving its habitat.
Thanks
to community led conservation efforts, the mountain gorilla population in the
Virunga Massif increased from 480 in 2010 to 604 as of June 2016. Today,
mountain gorillas are the only great ape species increasing in number in the
world and the species was recently down-listed from critically endangered to endangered
on the IUCN Red List.
In
2015, the government teamed up with African Parks to reintroduce lions to
Akagera National Park after two decades of local extinction. This conservation
milestone was followed by the reintroduction of 18 critically endangered
Eastern black rhinos in 2017, further advancing the restoration of the park’s
biodiversity. In 2019, five additional rhinos from European zoos were
translocated to Rwanda to increase the genetic diversity of the country’s rhino
population.
As a
result of these efforts, the populations of these endangered animal species
have increased, playing a crucial role in saving them from extinction.
Investments in ecotourism
Rwanda’s
tourism sector is the country’s leading foreign exchange earner. In 2019, the
sector earned $498 million. Within the industry. ecotourism is quickly becoming
dominant, thanks to the demand from travellers seeking low-impact experiences.
Rwanda
positioned itself as a high-yield, low volume destination in keeping with its
conservation-centric approach to tourism. This strategy attracted several
high-end lodges and professional management such as international brands
including Singita, One&Only, Wilderness Safaris and Mantis Collection and
local brands such as The Retreat, Amakoro Songa Africa, Sabyinyo Silverback
Lodge and The Bishop’s House.
These
and other hospitality brands have made a valuable addition to the tourism
offering, providing a diverse range of world class accommodation and
experiences and contributing to conservation efforts – especially
reforestation. As a result, Rwanda is recognised by leading international
travel publications as one of the top global destinations for luxury
ecotourism.
Rwanda’s
conservation efforts would not have been a success without the power of
partnerships.
The government
works hand-in-hand with several conservation partners including the Greater
Virunga Transboundary Collaboration, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, International
Gorilla Conservation Programme, Wildlife Conservation Society, Gorilla Doctors,
African Parks, Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, Albertine Rift
Conservation Society and the African Leadership University, among others.
The
partnerships support the promotion of biodiversity conservation, and enable
Rwanda to invest in nature and communities.
Protection of national parks
The
protection of national parks and payment of ecosystems count among significant
conservation achievements in Rwanda. This was achieved through the expansion of
the Akagera National Park buffer zone, the long-term protection of Nyungwe and
Akagera national parks through a unique partnership with African Parks, and the
rehabilitation and establishment of Gishwati-Mukura National Park.
Rwanda
also recently announced plans to expand Volcanoes National Park due to its
growing mountain gorilla population and vision for community livelihood
improvement. This once in a generation initiative will expand the park by
approximately 23 per cent, increasing its size by 37.4 square kilometres.
To
ensure the best use of community benefit funds, Rwanda promotes close
ownership, participation and technical support from local communities.
Promising
projects include payment for ecosystem services schemes with tea factories
compensating forest-adjacent communities for water filtration services provided
by protected areas and promoting the rehabilitation of degraded areas such as
Gishwati and Mukura forests.
In
addition, 10 per cent of park tourism revenue is invested in the communities
surrounding Rwanda’s national parks, which fosters ownership and builds a
constituency for conservation. Rwanda has also established a fund to compensate
for any damage caused by wildlife, which is financed by 5 per cent of tourism
revenue.
Rwanda’s
conservation efforts aim to maintain and expand the country’s protected areas
as key economic assets supporting climate-resilience, and acting as havens for
biodiversity and sources of vital ecosystem services.
Utilising Payment for Ecosystem Services
and Natural Capital Accounts
Payment
for Ecosystem Services (PES) occurs when a beneficiary or user of an ecosystem
service makes a direct or indirect payment to the provider of that service. The
idea is that whoever preserves or maintains an ecosystem service should get an
incentive for doing so. To promote this model of environmental conservation,
Rwanda partnered with Costa Rica and is developing a scalable PES system.
Rwanda
also developed Natural Capital Accounts for land, water, minerals and
ecosystems (key natural resource pillars of economic development and
sustainable growth). Natural Capital Accounts (NCA) are an important resource
for tracking progress on socioeconomic, environment, and natural resource indicators.
The
country set a target to allocate 37.7 per cent of land to conservation in its
National Land Use and Development Master Plan.
This demonstrates the government’s commitment to environment protection, natural resource management and climate change preparedness.