Rwanda is working towards environmental and economic progress

In 2005, the government of the Republic of Rwanda passed a relatively obscure, highly effective law to ban plastic bags. It was a small, simple and generally unexpected move, and has since proved to be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the nation’s efforts to embrace sustainable, environmentally sound development. On March 21, the nation’s efforts enjoyed recognition and UNEP Director, Achim Stiener, announced that Rwanda has, “set an example for other African states to follow.” The nation’s pledge has been deemed a world-first by various environmental bodies, and speaking at the 2011 United Nations Forum on Forests, Rwandan Minister of Land and Environment, Stanislas Kamanzi, told attendees that by 2035, “Rwanda will have achieved a country-wide reversal of the current degradation of soil, land, water and forest resources.” Following a period of strong economic growth for the country—up by 7.7 per cent in 2010 according to the National Institute of Statistics (NISR)—Rwanda appears to be at the very forefront of rapidly developing African nations today.

The country in question

Home to more than 11 million individuals according to 2010 figures, Rwanda encompasses an array of lakes, dramatic mountainous terrain, swamps and plains. Following the nation’s highly reported and devastating genocides of 1994, under which the economy suffered greatly, the country has steadily rebalanced its financials and as part of the East African Community supports proposed plans for an East African shilling—said to be on course for fruition in 2012. In terms of industry, the country’s bounteous fertile soil plays host to a range of crops from major export markets such as coffee and tea to staples such as beans and potatoes, and also in line with the country’s natural beauty is its burgeoning tourism industry. Many travel to hike the mountains and forests in the hopes of glimpsing gorillas and chimpanzees, and as investment in transportation and infrastructure has climbed since 1994, access routes to population hubs and amenities have enticed masses of holidaymakers to the nation.

The balance between economic growth and sustaining natural habitats and environments has been raised amidst concerns over Rwanda’s commitments to preserving its terrain. There is the question of lacking natural resources versus population growth and the large dependence for GDP on agricultural, farming and associated industries. However it has also been reported that the government of Rwanda is mindful of these pushes and pulls. It understands that because of its population reliance on farming, sustained economic growth cannot be achieved without long-term views to invest in natural resources, habitats and infrastructure and build for future growth.

A year of progress

Under the United Nations Development program (UNDP) Organic Law, Rwanda has embarked on the background work necessary in order to encourage institutions to actively support conservation.

“National policy objectives for the management and protection of environmental resources include reducing the proportion of the population dependent on agriculture, the rate of diseases related to environmental degradation, and dependency on non-renewable biomass energy,” the UNDP states.

“Rwanda has entered the realm of environmental management at a critical point in time, recognizing that the proper management of its natural resources is a fundamental requirement for a sustainable existence in the future. It is thus the objective of UNDP Rwanda to support, aid and ensure the forward movement of environmental sustainability.”

Under the wing of the UNDP, Rwanda’s mission in 2010 was clear: to grow its economy and conduct activities and use of natural resources to support progress, while tackling the impact that this, and climate change, may have on the environment. In example, Rwanda’s forests are critical to its farming, soil quality and temperatures, but economic growth may trend towards practices that pose a threat to such habitats. Developments made within the past year include:
Introducing and/or furthering environmental policy reach within various national development programs.

Supported by the UNDP, moving towards the development of a policy framework to support official systems relating to environment management and conservation.

The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) agreed on a revenue sharing policy to direct tourism revenue to local communities, advised by the UNDP.

The partners (Rwanda UNDP) planned for various other initiatives including Cean Development Mechanism (CDM), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Rwanda Poverty Environment Initiative (PEI).

To date, there are signs that the groundwork put in motion in 2010 is still going strong. In addition to policy-shaping and long-lasting frameworks for change—and perhaps characteristic of the spirit for hard work, future growth and determination within the country—come the tales of individuals with the drive and desire to do more.

People powering progress

In late March, in Nyagatare, Eastern Province, a group of staff from Bweranyangye Girls’ Secondary School in Uganda travelled to Rwanda and planted over 300 trees at SOPEM Rukomo Secondary School. This action, aimed at raising awareness on conservation and demonstrating what an individual can do to be a part of future progress, saw 70 people from the Bweranyangye school take part in the ‘Connecting Classrooms’ program which includes environmental protection as one of its core knowledge streams.

Days later, on April 5, the REMA announced that it will begin to train journalists throughout the country and teach them about environmental journalism and reporting. These efforts began with a two-day workshop titled ‘Environmental Education for sustainable development,’ in Kigali, and included discussion about the need to develop the general population’s mindset towards acting as an individual to boost the overall nation’s commitment to environmental development.
It appears that in addition to tackling both environmental and economic future prosperity, Rwanda has been able to harness another natural asset—faith. Its future progress will be founded on the desires of the many individuals planting trees, running local cleanup organizations and working to educate others about the benefits of environmental development. The banning of plastic bags in 2005 was the seed, and the congratulations from Stiener are a strong indication about the year ahead, but it appears that the real success story of Rwanda’s economic and environmental flourish is just beginning.

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