Rwanda’s National Forest Planting Day and Season bring together millions of Rwandans to plant millions of trees in an effort to protect the environment and harness forest resources for economic development and improving the livelihoods of Rwandans. The theme of this year’s season is “Forests – A Pillar of Sustainable Development”.
The launch of the 2017/18 season will take place in Nyagatare District, Nyagatare Sector, Rutaraka Cell, Rutaraka Village, on October 28. During the event, there will be a community discussion about the benefits of tree planting and a nursery with the different types of trees that will be planted.
Across the country, seedlings will be planted on more than 50 000 hectares (ha) as part of the 2017/18 Forest Planting Season. During the season, a total of 3 254 ha of forests will be planted, a total of 45 730 ha of agroforestry will be planted and an area of 768 ha degraded forests will be rehabilitated. To support the sustainable management of state forests, 5 350 ha will be transferred to private investors through concession and co-management agreements.
According to the Rwandan Ministry of Environment, the Government of Rwanda will use this Forest Planting Season as a chance to encourage citizens to invest in forestry, use less charcoal and adopt alternative sources of energy such as gas and solar. To help reduce the use of biomass as a source of energy, 19 317 improved cookstoves are being distributed in Gatsibo District, thanks to support from the Rwanda Green Fund.
Rwanda’s forests cover 696 402 ha or 29.6 percent of the country’s total land area. Over 258 000 ha are natural forests and savannah. The forestry sector contributes significantly to Rwanda’s economy.
This year’s Forest Planting Season is being organised by the Ministry of Lands and Forestry and the Rwanda Water and Forestry Authority. It is supported by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC) and Water for Growth Rwanda – a joint Rwanda-Netherlands platform supporting integrated water resources management in the country.
