IUCN Country Representative, MoE Permanent Secretary Meet over Catchments Restoration, other topics of concern

 

On Monday, 02 August 2021 the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment Mr. Patrick Karera received Mr. Charles Karangwa, the Country Representative of the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Rwanda and discussed the ongoing investments in forest landscapes and water catchments restoration, TOP AFRICA NEWS has exclusively learnt.

Their discussions focused on innovations and mechanisms to accelerate implementation of key impactful projects funded by Rwanda’s partners namely the European Union in Rwanda, German Embassy, Netherlands Embassy, the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) among others.

The meeting also concluded on Rwanda’s participation in World Conservation Congress 2021 and hosting Africa Protected Areas Congress 2022 in Kigali.

According to available information, the Government of Rwanda will in March 2022 host the inaugural IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) to discuss conservation of the continent’s protected areas.

 The decision came after the relaunch of APAC in Kigali, Rwanda on 20th April 2021.

The congress which will be held from 7th – 12th March 2022 will be convened by the Government of Rwanda, the International Union for Conservation of Nature – World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA) and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) in collaboration with partners.

The Government of Rwanda recognizes the role of protected and conserved areas in ensuring the conservation of nature, sustaining ecosystem services and promoting sustainable development.

In this struggle, the IUCN continues to play an active role in enabling Rwanda to achieve its mission, especially in the field of environmental protection and Nature conservation.

So far the IUCN in in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Water Resources Board and other partners including Netherlands Development Agency (SNV) and local partners are in the final phase of the Project that seeks to fully rehabilitate Sebeya Catchment through a project called Embedding Integrated Water Resource Management in Rwanda (EWMR).

IUCN holds a leading role in the transformation of Rwanda’s East

It is also at this time that IUCN is leading various stakeholders in another project aimed at reforestation of the eastern part of Rwanda through the Forests Landscape Restoration program.

In July this year (2021), the GCF and IUCN have signed a funding agreement for the project “Transforming Eastern Province through adaptation” (TREPA) with a GCF contribution of $ 33,783,755 and an additional $ 15,839,042 mobilized as co-financing from the Government of Rwanda and other Project Executing Entities.

The implementation of the six-year investment will be jointly executed by IUCN in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda through Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA) and Enabel, the Belgian development agency, as Executing Entities.

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