Rwanda: Volcanoes National Park Expansion_Balancing Conservation and Community Welfare
It is expected that once the Volcanoes National Park’s land area is expanded, both the population of gorillas and the revenue they generate will increase.
The project to expand the park was preceded by efforts to secure land where a model village will be constructed. This village will house some 510 families from the Musanze District, who currently reside in the zone targeted for the park’s expansion.
This land has been found in the Rurembo Village of Kinigi Sector, where 15 billion Rwandan Francs will be given as compensation to families whose land is being acquired for the park’s expansion.
The preliminary work, such as assessing the value of the land where the village will be built, is already 87% complete. It is expected that by October 2024, this assessment will be finalized, followed by the creation of a master plan, and construction will begin. The construction is set to take three years, with completion expected by 2027, at which point the families will have moved into the new village, allowing the expansion of the Volcanoes National Park to commence.
The primary goal of the project, beyond the expansion of the park and its conservation benefits for gorillas and other wildlife, is to improve the living conditions of the affected communities.
Janvier Kwizera, an RDB employee in charge of community partnerships at Volcanoes National Park, explains, “This project was developed based on research and consultations with the local population. The residents expressed concerns that if they were only given monetary compensation for their land without being relocated immediately, they might misuse the money. That’s why we thought it best to first build the village, relocate them, and then provide compensation. This way, they can use the funds to improve their lives while the park expansion is underway.”
Volcanoes National Park will be expanded by 3,740 hectares, a 23% increase from its current size of 16,000 hectares.
The expansion of Volcanoes National Park is a large-scale project involving various institutions.
RDB, REMA, Rwanda Water Board, and Meteo Rwanda are key players in executing this ambitious project. RDB, for its part, is responsible for community engagement and awareness campaigns to ensure the residents understand the project’s goals and are involved in the process. This includes overseeing land valuation and the resettlement of the families into the new village.
In this project, there will be efforts to reforest the areas where residents previously lived
The reforestation of the expanded park area will be REMA’s responsibility, with the Rwanda Water Board focusing on soil erosion control, especially managing water runoff from the volcanoes in districts such as Musanze, Burera, Gakenke, Nyabihu, Rubavu, Ngororero, and Rutsiro. This will prevent further damage to homes and farmland.
Meteo Rwanda, in collaboration with other entities, will implement satellite-based early warning systems to alert residents of potential weather-related disasters, helping them take preventive measures.
The local residents eagerly anticipate the project’s long-term solutions.
Residents, some of whom have long suffered the consequences of living near the park, have been calling for lasting measures to protect both the park and their own livelihoods.
Erneste Nsekanabo, whose son was gored by a buffalo that escaped the park in May 2024, believes that earlier action could have prevented the incident. He recalls, “The buffaloes came from the park, and two entered our village. They attacked several people, including my son, who was seriously injured. We barely got him to the hospital in time to save his life. This isn’t the first time we’ve gone without sleep, fearing that buffaloes would invade our homes.”
Brigitte Ntagisanimana from Kinigi Sector adds, “We’ve long dreamed of seeing families moved to safer areas, where they won’t lose their crops and homes to floodwaters from the volcanoes. These floods have left many destitute, destroying homes and leaving farmers without food.”
In the first phase of the Volcanoes National Park expansion, families from the villages of Myase, Nyarusizi, Gahura, and Nyakigina in Kinigi Sector will be relocated to the new model village in Rurembo, set to begin construction soon.
While the park borders Musanze, Burera, Nyabihu, and Rubavu districts, the entire area to be expanded lies within Musanze District, specifically in the sectors of Kinigi, Nyange, Shingiro, and Gataraga.
A protective electric fence to prevent wildlife from escaping is also planned and will span all affected districts.
The project will be implemented in phases over 10 to 15 years, with a total budget of $230 million, financed by the Government of Rwanda, development partners, loans, and grants.
Residents are assured that the project will not only protect them from danger but also build resilience to climate change while improving their overall well-being. The number of gorillas is expected to increase by 15 to 20% as a result of the expansion.
As Janvier Kwizera emphasized, community cooperation will be crucial to the project’s success.