Project

RW37 Green Investment Mobilization to Support Rwanda’s Planned National Volcanoes Park Expansion

At a Glance

Strategic Outcomes SO6 Enhanced adaptation to climate change
Start Date Q2  2022
End Date q1 2024
Funding Source Earmarked
Actual Budget (USD) 0
Budget Percentage %
Actual Expenditure (USD) 54432
Status Active
GGGI Share (USD)
Poverty and Gender Policy Markers poverty, gender
Name of Client (Lead/Prime implementer if GGGI is part of a consortium) Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA)
Participating Organization (Funding/donor)
Name of consortium members, if any Africa Wildlife Foundation, Rwanda Development Board
Thematic Area
  • Green Cities
  • Gender and Inclusive Development
  • Sustainable Landscapes
  • National Financing Vehicles
GGGI Project Code : rw37
Project Manager and Staff +
Brigitte Nyirambangutse

Senior Officer, Rwanda Program

The Government of Rwanda has prioritized green growth within its strategy documents and vision for the country. The Government has set ambitious targets of becoming a middle-income country by 2035, a high-income country by 2050, as well as a net zero country by 2050. To achieve these targets, the current land area dedicated to forestry must be expanded while at the same time, economic growth must be maintained. Rwanda’s post-covid economic recovery is contingent upon maximizing the use of the country’s available resources. With limited land area, high levels of urbanization, and population growth, the land use pressures on forest areas are substantial. Nonetheless, the Government of Rwanda has committed to expanding the area of the Volcanoes National Park (VNP) to 1) protect the growing population of mountain gorillas in the country, 2) maximize revenue from eco-tourism, and 3) increase carbon sequestration from the expansion of the current footprint of the park.

The project aims to mobilize resources to support the expansion of one of Rwanda’s largest tourism destinations, Volcanoes National Park. The Government of Rwanda plans to expand the park by an additional 37.4 sq km. GGGI has been approached by the government to provide technical assistance for the assessment of the mitigation potential and the of the expansion area and to develop proposals targeting two donor organizations that have expressed interest in co-financing the project.

After receiving land from the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), the Government of Rwanda, in coordination with governmental parties and partners, has pledged to expand the size of the Volcanoes National Park to not only preserve the growing population of mountains gorilla, strengthen the eco-tourism and the VNP surrounding communities’ livelihood but also take advantage of the carbon sequestration potential from the expansion of the current footprint of the park. As carbon credits and related mechanisms for carbon trading are emerging, GGGI is supporting the Government of Rwanda to identify potential sources of funding and building capacity in the implementation or Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

The GGGI-VNP project team is working in coordination with Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) to organize capacity building workshops on Article 6 to present, explore, and discuss the opportunities, and the implications for Rwanda. The workshop aims to explore the opportunities now available to the Government of Rwanda following the finalization of the Paris Rulebook.

The project is managed by Brigitte Nyirambangutse, who has a background in Environmental Science, forestry, and ecosystem rehabilitation. The project is supported by the GGGI Rwanda Country Representative, Okechukwu Daniel Ogbonnaya and a project intern, Patient Mindje Kayumba. In addition, the project implementation is supported by a District Technical Assistant (DTA) embedded in the sub-national government in Musanze where the national park is located.