Eastern Province endorses  Landscape Restoration Projects including TREPA, COMBIO and AREECA

By Ange de la Victoire DUSABEMUNGU

The Eastern Province of Rwanda has endorsed key landscape restoration Projects that will see the province positioning itself in the matters of environmental conservation and improved livelihoods among the local communities.

This followed the signing of an MoU between key actors in the restoration of Ecosytem and improving the living conditions among the population of the Rwanda’s Eastern Province.

On March 30, 2023, IUCN Rwanda, Rwanda Forestry Authority, the Eastern Province and the District of Kirehe, Ngoma, Bugesera, Kayonza, Rwamagana, Gatsibo, Nyagatare signed a Memorandum of Understandings on restoration of degraded lands in the Eastern Province through restoration projects including TREPA (Transforming Eastern Province through Adaptation), COMBIO project which aims to reduce the province’s vulnerability to climate change through enhanced community-based biodiversity protection and AREECA project which focuses on the development of participatory FLR interventions and implementation in selected community areas.  

The signed MoUs identify areas of cooperation between the Parties such as promoting forest landscape restoration to support sustainable livelihoods & biodiversity, providing alternatives for reducing deforestation and forest degradation, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.

During the signing ceremony which took place in Ngoma District, the Governor of Eastern Province Emmanuel K. Gasana requested everyone to play an active role for the successful implementation of the projects mentioned above in order to help the people benefit from the advantages of having green forests in terms of conservation, protection of the environment and good management of the land.