Community cooperatives strengthen conservation

Across Nyungwe National Park and Akagera National Park community-led cooperatives are improving livelihoods while strengthening conservation efforts. From fishing and beekeeping to mushroom farming and tourism services, these small businesses are creating sustainable income opportunities and reinforcing the link between people and protected landscapes.

Over the past two decades, cooperatives in Rwanda have become an effective way to support rural development, job creation and social cohesion. Around Nyungwe and Akagera, they also offer practical alternatives to unsustainable resource use, helping communities benefit directly from conservation.

In Akagera, initiatives such as the COPECO Gishanda Fishing Cooperative provide stable employment while maintaining healthy fish stocks. Sustainable practices, including restocking lakes and using solar-powered fish farming, have created jobs, improved nutrition and supported local infrastructure, including access to clean water and electricity.

Around the park, beekeeping and construction cooperatives generate income, employment and local economic growth, while contributing to park management and environmental protection. These activities are further supported through Rwanda’s Tourism Revenue Sharing programme, which reinvests tourism income into surrounding communities.

Nyungwe National Park supports 34 cooperatives across five districts, spanning agriculture, tourism services and guiding. Projects such as mushroom farming and community-run tourism enterprises are delivering new skills, higher incomes and long-term opportunities, demonstrating how conservation and inclusive growth go hand in hand.

Source: African Parks