Environmental protection in and around refugee camps project

INTRODUCTION

Rwanda is faced with wide-ranging challenges and problems of environmental degradation. Home to about 11 million people, Rwanda is amongst the most densely populated country in Africa.

Influx of refugees adds to this population density burden and reinforces the already intense population pressure on the environment causing depletion of natural resources as well as exacerbating land scarcity problems.

As of date, there are already five (5) refugee camps which have been established and these cover a total 232.8 hectares of land in five Districts.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The Project aims at:

• Contributing to the overall national goal of protecting the environment and the conservation and management of natural resources.

• Protecting the lands in and around the refugee camps from soil erosion and degradation.

• Reducing pressure on the environment, specifically on the forests, in and around the camps by promoting the use of and making available improved cooking stoves which require low-firewood consumption for the 69,555 refugees.