RWANDA

Rwanda had made considerable efforts at conservation and reforestation prior to the war in the 1990s, during which many forest plantations were destroyed by displaced people fleeing the conflict. Following the war, the countrys priorities were the immediate survival of its people and further areas were destroyed by the development of new settlements, and much forest land was illegally appropriated for agriculture, whilst the authorities did not have the resources to prevent it. Although forestry activities have resumed, with reforestation projects by NGOs, the distribution of seedlings to farmers to increase the area under private forest plantations, and the reconstitution of forest areas under public ownership, Rwandas forested areas are shrinking.

The main focus of forest policy today is conservation and management of forested areas, rehabilitation of forests destroyed and damaged by the war, the development of private and communal forestry and the emerging market for forest products. However, inadequate legislation, a lack of forest inventory and a lack of human and material resources prevents any comprehensive management, monitoring and enforcement from taking place.

FAO is concerned about the state of Rwandas forests and the decline in effective management resulting from the recent conflict. A continuing lack of political stability in the region hampers efforts at rehabilitation and increases the likelihood of illegal cross-border activities.

DOCUMENTS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
01/05/2009	Land Rights and the Forest Peoples of Africa: Historical, Legal and Anthropological Perspectives A series of five country studies, plus a broad overview, examining indigenous peoples' land rights ...	Rights & Resources Initiative (RRI)
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NEWS

DATE	TITLE	AUTHOR
11/03/2010	Gorilla fortunes boosted by International Year in their honour, UN reports The world’s endangered great apes received a boost from the 2009 United Nations Year of the Gorillas, ...	UN News Centre
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26/11/2009	Africa: Fears forest proposals are 'human rights disaster' Copenhagen — The clean, ultra-modern chrome and glass lines of the Bella Centre, in the Danish ...	allAfrica.com
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13/10/2009	Rwanda: Destructive rains blamed on Gishwati deforestation Kigali — Metrological experts currently meeting at National University of Rwanda have concluded ...	allAfrica.com
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09/11/2008	Failure to implement protection laws decimating forests in Eastern Africa Even as the effects of climate change continue to bite, deforestation and land degradation continue unabated ...	Africa Science News Service (Kenya)
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LINKS

TITLE	DESCRIPTION	REPORT
'Vision' Interactive GIS Tool	This web-GIS tool currently focuses on the three study areas that are part of the IES programme on Environmental Security for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA). These areas are: Central Kalimantan, Indonesian part of Borneo; the Mataven region in Colombia; the transboundary region between Rwanda, Uganda and the DR Congo, in the African Great Lakes region. The tool allows users to access and analyse mapping and monitoring information, including forest cover and deforestation, thus increasing transparency and fostering accountability.	Broken link
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