The Rwandan government, in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), will implement community-based projects around three national parks, a statement obtained Wednesday in Kigali said.
The initiative which is supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) also aims to build community’s resilience and adaptation to climate change in rural settings, it said.
Dubbed “”Strengthening the resilience of communities vulnerable to climate variability in the Congo-Nile watershed region in Rwanda by restoring forests and landscapes”, the initiative will enable communities living in the three national parks to create activities. generating income, including beekeeping, crafts, sustainable forestry.
During the implementation phase, The Rwandan government and WCS will find solutions to improve agricultural yields. To reduce deforestation, rural women will be provided with fuel-efficient stoves. The project also focuses on capacity building in integrated landscape planning and management, the statement said.
It is also expected that 103,200 hectares of natural forests will be subject to improved management for climate resilience while a total coverage of 6,800 hectares of degraded forests will be restored.
This part of the project will benefit for 300,000 people while 187,000 smallholder farmers among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change are expected to benefit from “increased” resilience of their activities and other livelihoods through increased forest cover on farms.
The total investment for the project’s implementation is estimated at 38.4 billion Rwandan francs, more than 37 million dollars.
CU/abj/APA