RWCA’s inauguration of Rugezi Community Centre puts communities at heart of wetland conservation

Rwanda is studying the possibility of incorporating the Rugezi Wetland into the country’s national park network, Northern Province Governor Maurice Mugabowagahunde said Saturday as authorities and conservationists stepped up efforts to link environmental protection with livelihoods for communities living around the wetland.

Mugabowagahunde made the remarks on September 19 during the inauguration of the Rugezi Community Centre in Ibanda Village, Miyove Sector, Gicumbi District.

Supported by the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA), the centre provides workspace and a showroom for women involved in sewing, tailoring and handicrafts. It also includes a coffee shop aimed at attracting travellers using the Base-Gicumbi-Nyagatare road and creating a market for locally produced goods.

The facility serves 45 women working in sewing and craft cooperatives, with the broader aim of providing alternative sources of income and reducing communities’ reliance on resources from the wetland.

“We are grateful for the support that allows us to learn new skills instead of relying on the resources of Rugezi Marsh,” the president of the Miyove Sewing Women Cooperative said. “Today, we choose not to destroy the marsh because we have learned that it is home to different species and is vital to the community around it.”

Conservation and livelihoods

RWCA founder and chief executive Dr. Olivier Nsengimana said conservation efforts around Rugezi depended on the participation of surrounding communities.

“We found that if we want to achieve our conservation goals for Rugezi Marsh and the Grey Crowned Cranes, we have to start with the people,” he said.

The organisation supports women involved in tailoring and weaving and plans to expand training and market opportunities for cooperatives.

According to figures presented during the inauguration, RWCA employs 116 people permanently in biodiversity conservation and creates opportunities for about 1,000 people each year through its wider community programmes. It also contributes to health-insurance costs for about 500 residents living around the wetland annually.

Rugezi has traditionally provided surrounding communities with resources including firewood and grasses used in handicraft production. Some of these activities, however, have contributed to pressure on the wetland and its wildlife.

RWCA has distributed 480 improved cooking stoves to reduce dependence on firewood collected from Rugezi and supported farmers in establishing terraces to reduce soil erosion and the flow of sediment into the wetland.

National park feasibility study

Mugabowagahunde said the conservation work around Rugezi could also support the development of the area as a tourism destination.

“A study is currently being undertaken to assess the possibility of incorporating this area into the national park system, thereby enabling tourists to visit and appreciate its natural heritage,” he said.

The proposal remains subject to the outcome of the feasibility study.

The Governor said national park status could create additional tourism opportunities and allow visitors to experience Rugezi’s biodiversity alongside Rwanda’s existing protected destinations, including Akagera and Volcanoes national parks.

He also called for conservation and development programmes to consider the welfare of children of people working around the wetland, including the possible establishment of an early-childhood development centre.

Gicumbi District Mayor NZABONIMPA Emmanuel said the new centre demonstrated the importance of combining environmental conservation with economic opportunities for surrounding communities.

“This centre is not only a place where people can acquire skills and make products. It is also a platform for creating opportunities for our communities while strengthening their role in protecting Rugezi Wetland,” he said.

The Mayor said the district would continue supporting partnerships aimed at promoting sustainable livelihoods, environmental protection and local economic development around Rugezi.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that conservation goes hand in hand with improving the lives of the people who live around this wetland,” he said.

Biodiversity under protection

Rugezi is home to 741 recorded species of biodiversity, according to RWCA, including Grey Crowned Cranes, which have become a prominent focus of conservation efforts in the wetland.

RWCA said the number of cranes recorded in Rugezi had risen from about 70 when its conservation work began to 378 in its latest monitoring.

“We seek the cooperation of everyone. When we initially began conserving this wetland, there were only 70 cranes. Today, we have recorded as many as 378,” Nsengimana said.

The organisation’s conservation teams monitor biodiversity and work with local communities to prevent activities that could threaten the cranes and their habitat.

The new community centre forms part of that wider approach, providing women with a permanent space to acquire skills, produce and market goods while creating alternatives to economic activities that place pressure on the wetland.

As the feasibility study continues, the future of Rugezi’s conservation will remain closely linked to the livelihoods of communities living around the wetland, authorities and conservationists say.