Africa Travel News, Rwanda Information and Gorilla Safaris

The President of Rwanda has urged researchers to work out ways through which biodiversity can be preserved in a way that is compatible with the growing human needs.

Kagame made the request while opening a three-day environment conference under the theme ‘International Research Conference on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Natural Resource Management’ at Kigali Serena Hotel yesterday.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of both plant and animal life in the world. “The challenge before us is to design and implement strategies to manage the delicate balance between conservation of biological diversity and human development needs,” Kagame told researchers from more than twenty countries attending the conference.

He said that Rwanda has registered some modest success giving an example of Gorilla conservation in the Virunga’s Volcanoes mountain Gorilla National Park. Rwanda Gorilla safaris currently contribute the highest portion foreign exchange in the tourism industry.

“Through the effective fostering of eco-tourism, these unique primates are protected in their natural habitats while ensuring a steady revenue stream for our country,” added the President.

The President remarked that some of the challenges Rwanda faces include lack of required capacities in most of the country’s institutions and weaknesses in scientific research, both in terms of human and institutional resources and called upon Rwandans to think afresh about the biodiversity challenges, presentation them as a profitable venture.

“We must abandon the old paradigm in which conservation was viewed as a governmental responsibility and as a matter of urgency, shift into a new mode of critical thinking and action where the protection of biodiversity is viewed as a profitable business opportunity, for both mainstream enterprise and small businesses,” he stressed.

Dr. Russell Mittermeier, the president of Conservation International lauded Rwanda’s accomplishment in biodiversity conservation, attributing it mainly to the political will.

“The President especially did a good gesture of reinstating Nyungwe Forest as a national park. His personal commitment to this cause is a major stimulant that will lead to better results,” Mittermeier said.

Mittermeier said that Rwanda was better placed to host the first ever conference given her geographic location which is in the Albertine Rift.

As Rwanda marked 25 years of cooperation with the Federal State of Rhineland Palatinate of Germany, yesterday the President put in place Africa’s biggest solar energy plant at Jali hill in Gasabo District. The infrastructure, was funded by the German state through a company called Stadtwerke Mainz and Rhineland Palatinate citizens to the tune of Euro one million (approx. Frw700m).

At the launch of the plant that generates 250KW, the president said that there would not have been a better way to mark the 25 years of cooperation between the two parties from Rwanda and German.

“In 2004, we experienced a major power crisis brought about by the falling of water levels in our water bodies and this was at a time when Rwanda had set the pace of development,” said President Kagame.

He said that the facility will not only amplify the production of power, but also assist in environment conservation at a time when the world is faced with the challenge of a deteriorating eco-system due to global warming.

He also urged international partners and investors to invest in the eco-friendly power-generating venture which he said was a main concern to Africa and the whole world.

During the function, the visiting Minister President for Rhineland Palatinate, Kurt Beck, said that the people of Rwanda are proud of having this biggest plant on the continent.

“This comes at a time when the world is facing environmental degradation and this infrastructure we are witnessing sends a positive signal towards preserving it (environment),” said Beck.

The existing power producing plants in the country are hydro-electric generators which need the use of fuel like diesel or petrol which present threats to the environment.

Eng. Albert Butare, the State Minister for Communication and Energy, said that the new project was conceived in 2003 and a Memorandum of Understanding for its construction was signed in July 2006 between Rwanda government and the Federation State of Rhineland Palatinate.

“Today, what we dreamt in 2003 has been realised and as of now we are witnessing it becoming a reality. This is a result of the existing cooperation between Rwanda and the Palatinate,” said Hon. Butare during the function.

He said that the government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure contributed Euro 200,000 while the rest of the works were financed by the Rhineland.

He also added that “The money the Rwandan government contributed to the project was to help pave the road for the plant and the actual works were funded by them”.

And the land on which the plant sits was provided by the Ministry of Defense.

The construction of this infrastructure, carried out by Stadtwerke Mainz kicked off in January 2007, and according to John Mirenge, the Director General of Electrogaz – the national water and electricity utility – the facility will be expanded depending on the availability of funds to generate more power.

Rwanda Information Portal

By Nakawooya Grace

Rwanda’s leader Paul Kagame has called for serious reflection on the part and responsibility of African governments, reserved sector and media practitioners in addressing the continent’s environmental challenges.

While addressing participants at the Intercontinental Conference for East and central African Journalists at Kigali Serena lodge, the His excellence Paul Kagame emphasized that capacity building in all three sectors was serious for fore preparation and useful environmental management.

The conference, whose theme was Sharing Environmental Information to Tackle Key Regional Challenges of Africa, brought together press from around Africa, policy makers and development partners working in the environment departments.

Citing the lately released report of the World’s Environment Day on the environment by the IPCC, with its alarming predictions for the expected decline of food security and destruction of ecosystems rooted to climate change, Kagame asserted that while industrialized countries were mostly attributed to the declining the environmental conditions, of which repercussions are greatly felt in Africa, Africa also had a part in the continuing deterioration of our globe.

He added that we have to face our own failings in terms of weak policies and practices that also contribute to the dreadful conditions of our environment.

In the same way that Africa has struggled and prevailed against other harms, with the right procedures, the continent had the capability to reverse degradation to the environment and become a credible contributor to the inclusive exertion, said Kagame.

Our continent has fought and won major battles like those against bad governance and authoritarian indulgence. We must hence take the environmental challenge in the same tramp, for it is part and parcel of socio financial development.

He also urged the African Union and regional financial blocs to take on the challenge.

He told the journalists that they are agents of change, aphorism that they have a central part to play in educating and sensitizing the humanity on environmental protection and serving to change mindsets..

He pointed out journalists as agents of change, saying that they have a vital role in educating and informing the society on environmental protection who should work together with the government and other stakeholders in order to deal with the environmental challenge.

He confirmed that the people of Rwanda will play their part and urged the whole continent to do so more urgently.

The Journalists present in the 3 day conference came from Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, DRC, Uganda, Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya, central Africa, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Gabon, Chad, Congo and Brazzaville who are members of Africa interact of Environmental Journalists of Africa.

He also urged the African Union and regional financial blocs to take on the challenge.

He told the journalists that they are agents of change, aphorism that they have a central part to play in educating and sensitizing the humanity on environmental protection and serving to change mindsets..

He pointed out journalists as agents of change, saying that they have a vital role in educating and informing the society on environmental protection who should work together with the government and other stakeholders in order to deal with the environmental challenge.

He confirmed that the people of Rwanda will play their part and urged the whole continent to do so more urgently.

The Journalists present in the 3 day conference came from Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, DRC, Uganda, Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya, central Africa, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Gabon, Chad, Congo and Brazzaville who are members of Africa interact of Environmental Journalists of Africa.

Rwanda Travel Guide

By Grace Nakawooya