Rwanda launches $6.7 million effort to restore Nyungwe national park

The restoration program was announced on Thursday during a meeting in Karongi District attended by park officials, security representatives, and local government leaders.

Protais Niyigaba, director of Nyungwe Management Company, said wildfires are the second most serious threat to biodiversity in the park after poaching, noting that recovery of fire-damaged ecosystems can take more than 100 years.

He said burned areas are quickly overtaken by invasive grasses that displace native vegetation and delay natural regeneration.

To restore affected sections, invasive species will be removed and indigenous trees replanted across more than 4,500 hectares damaged by fires over several years, he said.

The project is funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the Rwanda Forestry Authority in collaboration with Nyungwe Management Company. Officials said 80% of the funding will go toward local employment in surrounding districts, as restoration work is labor-intensive.

“This project will restore 4,500 hectares over five years at a cost of about $6.7 million,” Niyigaba said. “We are working with surrounding districts so that most of the funds directly benefit local residents. We also urge citizens to avoid setting fires in the park, as the money used for restoration could be directed to other development priorities.”

Karongi District Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Ntakirutimana Julienne said the project would create jobs and encouraged residents to participate and save earnings through local cooperative savings groups.

Officials said about 1,500 workers will be employed. They will live in temporary tented camps inside the park, where they will be provided with food and supplies and allowed to return home every two weeks. Workers will be paid 3,000 Rwandan francs per day.

Nyungwe National Park covers 1,020 square kilometers in southwestern Rwanda and is known for its ancient rainforest and critical water catchment systems.

The park is home to 13 species of primates, 85 mammal species, 300 bird species, 40 reptile species, and 38 amphibian species.

It spans 23 sectors across Karongi, Nyamasheke and Rusizi districts in the Western Province, and Nyaruguru and Nyamagabe districts in the Southern Province.