Rwanda, African Parks commit to long-term protection of Nyungwe NP

8 October 2020 admin

The Government of Rwanda and conservation non-profit African Parks signed a new 20-year agreement for Nyungwe National Park, a commitment which will ensure the sustainable management of the largest expanse of forest in the country. The agreement will preserve the park’s considerable biodiversity to secure lasting benefits for people and Rwanda’s wildlife.

This announcement follows a successful 10-year partnership between the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and African Parks, which has steered an ecological and economic revival of Akagera National Park in the country’s east, representing one of the most important wetland systems in the region.

Located in the south-west of Rwanda, Nyungwe contains exceptional levels of faunal and floral diversity owing to its large tracts of montane forest, interspersed with marshland, which span a total 1,019 km2. Positioned in the heart of the Albertine Rift, the park is home to a quarter of Africa’s primates – 13 species including chimpanzees and the extremely rare Hamlyn’s and L’Hoest’s monkeys. Among the more than 1,000 plants, over 90 mammals and 300 bird species recorded, many are endemic and found only within Nyungwe and in this high priority conservation area.

Nyungwe is already an important source of benefits for the nation. As a critical catchment area feeding both the Congo Basin to the west and the Nile Basin to the east, the park provides 70% of Rwanda’s water. It also has a nascent tourism economy, playing a key role in generating revenue and employment as Rwanda emerges as one of the world’s foremost ecotourism destinations.

The Rwanda Development Board and African Parks will work together to secure the sustainability of the park by improving law enforcement, investing in and stimulating local enterprise, and by optimizing Nyungwe’s exceptional potential for conservation-based tourism.

Nyungwe represents the second such partnership between RDB and African Parks, following a management agreement for Akagera National Park that began 2010. It is the 19th park to join the African Parks portfolio.

Commenting on the partnership, Clare Akamanzi, RDB Chief Executive Officer and Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks.