Green Rwanda Media Review - 26 April 2021
Summary
- Reuters reports that Minister Mujawamariya shared Rwanda’s efforts in climate change and resilience during the Leaders Climate Summit.
- The Rwanda Green Fund and GGGI have signed an MoU to promote a green and climate-resilient economy in Rwanda.
- The New Times and other outlets report that vehicles and firewood contribute 80 percent of air pollutants in Rwanda.
- Africa News and other outlets report that the inaugural Africa Protected Areas Congress officially launched.
- Watch REMA's video on environmental protection laws and our responsibilities for protection.
- Read Akagera National Park's newsletter for the Jan-March quarter.
Upcoming Events
- 27 April: Applications close for GGGI Greenprenuers 2021 Programme. More here
- 27 April: E-mobility Technology Showcase with MININFRA, REMA, GGGI. Join here (Passcode: 207996)
- 29 April: The Rehabilitation of a Distressed Species: Grey Crowned Cranes in Rwanda. More here
- 19 May: Endangered Species Day
- 22 May: International Day for Biological Diversity (World Biodiversity Day)
- 20 May: World Bee Day
Rwanda
Climate Leaders’ Summit: Minister Mujawamariya shared Rwanda’s Efforts in Climate Change and Resilience (Top Africa News - Monday, 26 April 2021) -- Rwanda’s Minister of Environment Dr. Mujawamariya Jeanne d’Arc has last week shared Rwanda’s efforts in climate change adaptation and resilience. Read More
Rwanda’s green fund restores 30,000 hectares of watersheds (The New Times - Sunday, 25 April 2021) -- Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) has protected and rehabilitated 30,000 hectares of watersheds and water bodies as a way to build climate change adaptation and resilience, Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, the Minister of Environment said. Read More
Imyuka y’imodoka no gutekesha inkwi n’amakara byihariye 80% mu guhumanya ikirere cy’u Rwanda (IGIHE - Saturday, 24 April 2021) -- Abashakashatsi bo mu mushinga upima imihindagurikire y’ibihe mu Rwanda witwa ‘Rwanda Climate Change‘, bagaragaje ko imyuka isohorwa n’imodoka ndetse n’imyotsi ikomoka ku gutekesha inkwi n’amakara, bigize 80% by’imyanda yanduza umwuka mu kirere cy’u Rwanda. Read More. Also published in The New Times.
Umushinga ugaragaza ihumana ry’ikirere umaze imyaka 7 ukorera mu Rwanda (Imvaho Nshya - Friday, 23 April 2021) -- Hashize imyaka 7 Leta y’u Rwanda ifatanije na kaminuza yigisha iby’ikoranabuhanga muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), itangije umushinga wo kugaragaza uko ikirere gihagaze ku ihumana ry’ikirere n’ihindagurika ryacyo. Read More
Rwanda: Embassy Of Israel Supports The Youth-Led Herbarium Research (KT Press - Friday, 23 April 2021) -- The Embassy of Israel in Rwanda on Thursday, April 22, joined the world to celebrate the annual International Mother Earth Day. The celebrations were marked with the launching of a training workshop to increase university students’ research on plants. Read More. Also published in Taarifa.
Hagaragajwe ingaruka z’ifumbire mvaruganda ku mihindagurikire y’ikirere (IGIHE - Friday, 23 April 2021) -- Ubwo hamurikwaga raporo yakozwe n’Impuzamiryango Nyarwanda iharanira kurengera Ibidukikije, guhangana n’imihindagurke y’ikirere n’iterambere, Rwanda Climate Change and Development Network (RCCDN) hagamijwe kugaragaza ibibazo biri muri politiki y’ubuhinzi, ibidukikije n’imihindagurikire y’ikirere zagiye zisa n’izivuguruzanya, bagaragaje ko n’ubwo ifumbire mvaruganda yongera umusaruro ariko igira ingaruka ku kugundura[gushimura] ubutaka, kwanduza amazi n’imihindagurikire y’ikirere. Read More
Leaders flag need to adapt to 'punishing reality' of hotter planet (Reuters - Thursday, 22 April 2021) -- After powerful Cyclone Winston slammed into Fiji in 2016, swiftly wiping out a third of the country’s GDP, the Pacific island nation developed a plan to adapt to surging climate change threats and move people out of harm’s way. Read More
Rwanda Gets More Experts For Its Continental Air Quality And Climate Laboratory (KT Press - Thursday, 22 April 2021) -- The ministry of education says the implementation of the ‘medusa system’ that was launched two years ago to measure gases that affect the Ozone layer has gained momentum with the University of Rwanda continuing to graduate atmosphere science experts. Read More
Prince Harry and African Parks Make an Earth Day Appeal for Protected Areas in Africa (African Parks - Thursday, 22 April 2021) -- In recognition of Earth Day, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex and African Parks are shining a light on the role effectively managed Protected Areas play in preserving biodiversity and in delivering life-altering benefits to local communities. Read More
Amashuri yashishikarijwe gutera ibiti nk’uburyo bw’isuku no kurwanya ibiza (Igihe - Thursday, 22 April 2021) -- Hagaragajwe ko gutera ibiti by’amoko atandukanye ku mashuri ari uburyo bwiza bwo kubungabunga ibidukukuje, kurimbisha ibigo no kurwanya imirire mibi. Read More
Basketball: BAL partners with Fortress Energy Group (The New Times - Thursday, 22 April 2021) -- The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and New Fortress Energy Inc. (NFE), a global energy infrastructure company founded to help accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy, on Tuesday, April 20 announced a multi-year partnership that makes NFE a Founding Partner and the Official Energy Partner of the BAL. Read More
Imirimo yo kubaka uruganda rukora ubwato bushobora kwifashishwa nka hoteli igeze ku musozo (IGIHE - Wednesday, 21 April 2021) -- Umuyobozi w’Intara y’Uburengarazuba, Habitegeko François, yavuze ko muri Kamena 2021, mu Karere ka Karongi hazaba huzuye uruganda rwa kijyambere ruzajya rukora ubwato bunini bugezweho, bushobora gutanga serivisi zo gutwara abantu n’ibintu mu kiyaga cya Kivu mu gihe gito. Read More
Mrs. Harvey Hikes Into Rwanda’s Mountain Gorillas Habitat (Taarifa - Wednesday, 21 April 2021) -- For a return to serenity and bonding with nature, Marjorie Elaine Harvey the spouse to an American television presenter Broderick Stephen Harvey was recently spotted in Rwanda’s mountain Gorilla’s habitat. Read More
How Government can stimulate Kigali’s affordable housing market (The New Times - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- Access to housing has been on the sustainable development agenda at the global level. It has also been pictured among the key factors for promoting inclusive urban development, which embody the right to inhabit well for all urban dwellers. Read More
Government, Africa Wildlife Foundation sign conservation deal (The New Times - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- The Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Environment has signed a five-year agreement with Africa Wildlife Foundation to partner in boosting conservation efforts in the country. Read More.
Video: LAUNCH OF THE AFRICA PROTECTED AREAS CONGRESS (APAC) (IGIHE YouTube Channel - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- The launch of the first ever continent-wide gathering of industry leaders and interest groups - IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC), as a commitment to safeguarding Africa’s wildlife, and promoting its sustainable development. Watch Video
The Inaugural IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress Officially Relaunched (Africa News - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- There is a need for more investments in rehabilitating and conserving the wetlands that straddle Rwanda and Burundi located in the Nile River basin, according to environmental economists. Read More. Also published in KT Press and Umuseke.
EDITORIAL: Conservation should remain a top priority (The New Times - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- Conservation is one of the main pillars of the Nationally Determined Contribution, under which Rwanda hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 38 percent by 2030. While there has been gradual increase in the surface area of designated protected areas over the last half a century globally, it has been noted that biodiversity continues to be eroded. Continued loss of biodiversity calls for urgent action as it risks to heavily disrupt ecosystem balance with dire consequences. Read More
Rusumo power plant could start operations by end of 2021 (The New Times - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- By the end of this year, one unit of the 80MW Regional Rusumo Hydroelectric Power Project will be operational, an engineer at Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP) has disclosed. Read More
Sector Updates
FONERWA’s Role to Rwanda’s climate change needs shared with Global Environmental Policy Leaders (Rwanda Green Fund - Friday, 23 April 2021) -- Every 22 April of each year, the world celebrates the Earth Day. This becomes a particular time for all human beings to reflect on alarming issues that undermine the beauty of the world and exchange on how the human kind can work together to restore a health planet. Read More
FONERWA and GGGI sign an MoU to promote a green & climate-resilient economy in Rwanda (Rwanda Green Fund - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- The National Fund for Environment - FONERWA and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have on Tuesday this week 20th April signed a Memorandum of Understating (MoU) which aimed at strengthening both parties’ further collaboration and cooperation in different areas. Read More
Video: AMATEGEKO ARENGERA IBIDUKIKIJE ATEGANYA IKI? | KUBIRINDA NO KUBIBUNGABUNGA NI INSHINGANO ZA TWESE (REMA YouTube Channel - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- Watch Video
Akagera News (Akagera National Park - March 2021) -- We welcome you to our first quarterly newsletter of 2021! You will find it filled with updates from the park, special offers, rare sightings, and events from January through March. As usual, the rainy season has arrived however Akagera remains open and conservation activities continue. Read More
The Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS), a Regional Conservation and Development NGO, longlisted for prestigious Ashden Award 2021 (ARCOS - Monday, 19 April 2021) -- ARCOS has been longlisted for a prestigious Ashden Award for Natural Climate Solution. Ashden, a UK charity, has been supporting transformative climate solutions for 20 years. More than 800 organisations applied for the 2021 Ashden Awards, and ARCOS is one of just 38 to have made it to the longlisting stage. Read More
One Tree Planted-ARCOS: A New Collaboration Aiming to Promote Landscape Restoration and Improve Livelihoods of Rural Rwandan Farmers through Agroforestry (ARCOS - Monday, 19 April 2021) -- On April 14th, 2021, One Tree Planted and Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) signed a new project agreement with a total fund of USD 160,000. This fund will finance a new project —to be implemented by ARCOS— aiming at restoring degraded areas and enhancing climate resilience in mountainous areas of western Rwanda and in the lowlands of eastern Rwanda for an initial period from April 2021 to December 2022. Read More
Across Africa
Good news for Grauer's gorillas (Eurek Alert - Thursday, 22 April 2021) -- Conservationists are celebrating news that the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has officially recognized three new community-managed forest concessions, collectively called the Nkuba Conservation Area (NCA), giving local communities ownership and management rights over their own forests. Read More
African forest maps reveal areas vulnerable to the effects of climate change (Nature - Wednesday, 21 April 2021) -- An analysis of six million trees reveals spatial patterns in the vulnerability of Central African rainforests to climate change and human activities. The maps generated could be used to guide targeted actions across national boundaries. Read More
What Burkina Faso can teach us about forest restoration (World Economic Forum - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- In 2018, the West African country of Burkina Faso committed to restoring 5 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. Read More
Rangers battle human encroachment in Sudan's biggest park (Africa News - Monday, 19 April 2021) -- Tucked away by the Ethiopian border, Sudan's Dinder National Park boasts the country's most diverse wildlife, but rangers face a daily battle to protect it as human encroachment mounts. Read More
From Around the World
Crisis to Opportunity: China Moves Fast to Protect Wildlife (NRDC - Wednesday, 21 April 2021) -- The Covid-19 crisis has prompted us to rethink the relationship between man and nature. Biodiversity protection, including wildlife, and public health issues are receiving increased attention around the world. In response, China accelerated the pace of wildlife protection over the last year, which included the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted a decision to ban the trade of wildlife as food and to tighten its crackdown on illegal wildlife trade (“Decision”). Read More
How to reduce face mask pollution, according to experts (NBC News - Wednesday, 21 April 2021) -- Throughout the past year, face masks have become one of the most prominent symbols of the coronavirus pandemic, both on our faces and, according to experts, in pollution scattered across the planet’s beaches, streets and bodies of water. Oceania, a nonprofit marine conservation advocacy organization, recently conducted research about how many single-use face masks are likely to have entered the world’s oceans in 2020. Read More
Australia to Phase Out Single-Use Plastic Bags, Straws & Utensils by 2025 (Global Citizen - Tuesday, 20 April 2021) -- Australian federal, state and territory leaders agreed to the most comprehensive plan yet to phase out single-use plastics by 2025 during April 15’s national meeting of environment ministers, with harmonised commitments across lightweight plastics bags, straws, utensils and microbeads. Read More
Twitter Highlights
1. Rwanda Green Fund @GreenFundRw: @GGGI_Rwanda Country Representative, @oakdanny: We are thrilled to renew the partnership with #FONERWA today that will yield impactful results towards a green and climate-resilient #Rwanda.
2. REMA Rwanda @REMA_Rwanda: Our Director-General @Juliet_Kabera, today joined postgrads and recent BSc grads @RwandaHerbarium to celebrate #EarthDay2021. This year's theme focuses on natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems.
3. Ministry of Infrastructure | Rwanda @RwandaInfra: Shema Power Lake Kivu Ltd is a public–private partnership initiative set to produce 14 megawatts of electricity by July this year, in its first phase and the remaining in June 2022.
4. Dr. Ron Adam @AmbRonAdam: Today #Israel celebrates in #Rwanda the International Mother #EarthDay2021. Together with the @RwandaHarbarium, Research unit of @CoErwanda in @uni_rwanda we initiated a workshop for graduates in the classification of species from @NyungwePark to promote biodiversity. @REMA_Rwanda