Documents
Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism
The Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism Project is a six year initiative to restore the Nyandungu Wetland complex in the outskirts of Kigali. The project will promote biodiversity and restore the ecosystem in the degraded wetland to later turn it into an ecotourism park.
Investment
6,327,332,926 Frw
Duration
6 years
Status
Ongoing
Project Team
Project Manager
Philbert Nkurunziza
Location
REMA HQ 3rd floor
amayaga@rema.gov.rw
Phone
+250 788771660
Overall, the Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism Project (NUWEP) advanced the restoration of Nyandungu degraded area, restored biodiversity by introducing native tree species, and restored terrestrial and aquatic habitat.
The Nyandungu wetland complex covers an area of 121.7 hectares that has been restored. The restoration of Nyandungu wetland highlights the management techniques and green technologies that can be used in Rwanda’s secondary cities, therefore demonstrating its scalability as a model for other wetlands and increasing its potential legacy.
NUWEP transformed Nyandungu wetland into a recreational park as outlined in the City of Kigali Master Plan and shows that wetland conservation can have economic, social, and environmental benefits to the inhabitants of Kigali, Rwanda, and visiting tourists.
The park itself not only demonstrates that native and indigenous trees as well as vegetation support greater biodiversity than exotic species, it also demonstrate that biodiversity conservation can generate revenues whether be to local communities and the country in general.
The Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism Project improved the livelihoods of local communities by creating approximately 4,000 green jobs for local communities. It also restored habitat including a fig forest of native species, restored the wetland itself for sustainable use, and rehabilitated streams and ponds for flood alleviation of wetlands and the reed-bed for pollution abatement of wetlands.
Further, the project set up a network of paths, roads, toilets, nature-viewing areas, picnic areas, an information center that explains the role of wetlands in conservation and the ecosystem services they provide, as well as a restaurant that serves tourists and every person visiting the recreational park which also serve as an educational and research center for students and researchers thanks to its rich biodiversity.
The Nyandungu Urban Wetland Ecotourism Project also curbs flooding in the wetland itself and surrounding areas.
IMPACT
Latest updates
The United Kingdom (UK) Minister of State for Development and Africa, Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, commends Rwanda’s efforts to protecting the…
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva commends Rwanda’s commitment to fighting climate change and being…
From a degraded wetland to an educational and recreational eco-park in the heart of Rwanda’s capital city, Nyandungu is now open to the public.
The Gabon’s Minister of Forests, Ocean, Environment and Climate Change, Professor Lee White has on 24th June 2022 visited Nyandungu Eco Park, which…
A Danish delegation on official visit to Rwanda, has on Wednesday 06 April 2022 visited wetlands to be rehabilitated under the Second Rwanda Urban…
The Queen’s Baton Relay was today 10th November 2021 hosted at Nyandungu Urban Eco-Tourism Park in the City of Kigali.
The Baton which arrived in…
In May 2016, Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) signed a five years’ project implementation agreement up to 2021 with Rwanda Green Fund…