Park Protection

Park Protection

Volcanoes National Park

The park was designed in 1925 as the Albert National Park.
The Park is adjacent to the Virunga National Park in DRC and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.
Following successive encroachment the park (Rwanda side) has been reduced to 16 000 ha, almost 1/3 of its size at gazetement.

The Volcanoes National Park management depends on Five strategic areas:

• Anti poaching and regular monitoring of the park and its key biodiversity.
• Behavioral research, veterinary research and health care
• Regulated Tourism
• Strategic partnerships for local development,  involvement of local communities in conservation.
• Trans-boundary collaboration efforts

Akagera National Park

Veterinary services at Akagera National Park

The Akagera National Park(ANP) was created on 26 November 1934. It was re-gazetted in 2003. ANP occupies the Northern part of Rwanda lies near the Kagera River but reaches in the north the Uganda border. The surface area is today 1085 km2. Akagera is not one of the largest African parks, but is perhaps one of the few which represent a complete ecological entity.

In the north and northeast lies the Mutara a natural and historic region with gentle topography where traces can still be seen of a long pastoral occupation. The other savannas belong to the hill region, where the topography is much rugged, varying in altitude. The hill region displays great diversity. The complexity of the topography and of the climate gradients engenders a fine mosaic of diverse soils, which themselves engender quite different plant formations.

The Akagera is not just  a park of savannas intersected by strips of forests. It is also includes important wetlands the Akagera river, permanent river in the park and its depression dotted with lakes and floating swamps. A subtle mix of mountainous terrains and humid environment rests the character, the beauty and richness of the landscape.   

Nyungwe National Park

RDB has been working closely with partners including the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)  with local communities and leaders to find ways of preserving Nyungwe National Park through tourism development, awareness campaigns, capacity building, and policy development. Thanks in part to these efforts over the past 20 years, in 2005, the forest was designated the third national park in Rwanda.

The RDB with the assistance of the  Wildlife Conservation Society and its partner organizations have established a network of moderate hiking trails, a canopy walkway, and an interpretation centre, which is the first of its kind in the region. Wardens and rangers have been trained and six patrol posts have been constructed to maintain control of the forest. A park management has  been developed in collaboration with WCS to determine zoning for conservation, tourism, and sustainable harvesting. The partnership with the National University of Rwanda, the Agricultural Research Institute was elaborate for  research collaborations with students and scientists.