Last updated: June 2024
The creation of Nyandungu Wetland Eco-Tourism Park is part of Rwanda’s efforts to restore and conserve ecosystems while promoting social-economic development. The Rwandese capital, Kigali, experiences regular flooding during rainstorms, due to the runoff from the surrounding urbanized hills, with the stormwater concentrating at the valley bottom in former wetlands. These floods cause disruption to traffic, preventing all travel between hillside communities. In order to address stringent issues, the focus turned on the wetlands surrounding the capital of the country. One of these wetlands is the Nyandungu wetland, which has suffered a lot of land use changes over the years, including agricultural activities, pasturing, cattle farms, sand mining, and wetland reclamation. From a climate change point of view, the project aims to address problems related with flooding and sustained base-flows in rivers. From a biodiversity point of view, the project aims to enhance biodiversity conservation. The main goal is the reconstruction of the Nyandungu Wetland Eco-Park with green infrastructure and services strategies for green energy, saving and recycling water, use of local and natural materials as well as architectural designs that maximize natural lighting and ventilation. (1,4)
Photo 2
https://gggi.org/sustainable-urban-wetlands-development-within-kigali-city-nyandungu-wetland-eco-park/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
- In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Preservation of natural heritage
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
Project objectives
Wetlands in Kigali have been threatened by human activities mainly due to conversion to agriculture, human settlements, commercial and industrial activities decreasing the flood and pollution abatement capacity of wetlands, but the implementation of urban plans promised to help them recover. Kigali City has 37 wetlands comprising a total area of over 7,700 ha. The present intervention focuses on the Nyandungu Wetland and its rehabilitation, with the following goals:
1. To restore the wetlands’ ‘sponge’ effect to retain stormwater runoff and reduce flooding: urban wetlands absorb excess rainfall, which reduces flooding in cities and prevents disasters and their subsequent costs.
2. To improve wetland buffering to improve water quality.
3. To restore wetland habitat as green urban space for recreation: biodiversity conservation through the introduction of native tree species and terrestrial habitat restoration.
4. Ecosystem rehabilitation through Urban Wetland rehabilitation also contributes toward global mitigation of climate change and promote carbon sequestration. (1,2,4)
Implementation activities
Nyandungu Wetland Eco-Tourism Park is composed of ornamental ponds, gallery forests, medicinal plant gardens, paved walkways and cycle lanes, restaurants, information centres, recreational and other biodiversity services. It is meant to attract both foreign and local visitors to the City of Kigali. Nyandungu Wetland Eco-Tourism Park is part of Rwanda’s efforts to restore and conserve ecosystems while promoting social-economic development. Nyandungu Wetland Eco-Park was constructed and designed with green infrastructure and services strategies for green energy, saving and recycling water, use of local and natural materials as well as architectural designs that maximize natural lighting and ventilation have been deployed. Between late 2018 to 2021, different activities took place: Planting trees (nursery preparation of native trees), Gabion construction, widening of the stream, and filtration of plants to allow the expansion of the wetland, and the filtration of water coming from the neighbouring community, Water ponds: excavation and grass planting works of ponds to play an important role in flood risks management. (1,2)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
- Improve carbon sequestration through selection of more adaptable species
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
- Capacity building
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- National government
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
In 2017, GGGI ( (the Global Green Growth Institute) signed a contribution agreement with the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS) to implement the MoU between MoE (Ministry of Environment of Rwanda) and IMELS.
The agreement kicked off in 2018 April. The first technical support was directed towards the mobilization of additional resources to build urban resilience through the rehabilitation of wetlands in the city. GGGI has provided technical support to the Ministry of Environment through its institution Rwanda Environment and Management Authority (REMA) to design and develop a project proposal to strengthen the climate resilience of the City of Kigali. The resources mobilized were additional to the already mobilized funds from FONERWA. The project was approved and funded (EURO 1Million) by IMELS in May 2018. (1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(This new Eco-Park project responds to the Green Economy in the EDPRS II and is one of the aspirations of Vision 2050 of developing green cities. EDPRS refers to the economic development and poverty reduction strategy of Rwanda. One of the pillars of the strategy includes the pursuit of a ‘green economy’ approach to economic transformation. The green economy approach favours the development of sustainable cities and villages. Key innovations include: piloting a green city, piloting a model mine, attracting investors in green construction, Interventions that will focus on green urbanisation and the promotion of green innovation in industrial and private sectors. (1))
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Protection of wetlands is included in the Kigali Master Plan 2020. This Master Plan is intended to be a tool to effectively coordinate land management in Kigali and aims to provide directions to the physical, economic, social, environmental growth of the City by providing the necessary spaces required for future economic growth and improved quality of life in the City. One of the goals of the Plan refers to Kigali Green City which involves the protection and restoration of wetlands. (5))
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Other
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
- Decreased crime rates
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. GGGI (2022), Sustainable Urban Wetlands Development within Kigali City- Nyandungu Wetland Eco-park, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
2. GGGI (2022), NYANDUNGU WETLAND ECO-PARK report, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
3. Government of Rwanda (2020), NYANDUNGU URBAN WETLAND ECO-TOURISM PARK PROJECT TO BE LAUNCHED IN 2021, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
4. WWF (no date), WATERWAYS TO RESILIENCE. NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR ADAPTATION IN AFRICA available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
5. Municiplaity of Kigali, Kigali Master Plan 2050, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
6. Asprod Studio (2019), Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco Tourism Park Documentary Film, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
7. Top Africa News (2021), Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-Tourism Park where IFAK students visited to discover scientific facts connecting the classroom experience with real-life and authentic experience, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
2. GGGI (2022), NYANDUNGU WETLAND ECO-PARK report, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
3. Government of Rwanda (2020), NYANDUNGU URBAN WETLAND ECO-TOURISM PARK PROJECT TO BE LAUNCHED IN 2021, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
4. WWF (no date), WATERWAYS TO RESILIENCE. NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR ADAPTATION IN AFRICA available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
5. Municiplaity of Kigali, Kigali Master Plan 2050, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
6. Asprod Studio (2019), Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco Tourism Park Documentary Film, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
7. Top Africa News (2021), Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-Tourism Park where IFAK students visited to discover scientific facts connecting the classroom experience with real-life and authentic experience, available at Source link (accessed 21-03-2022)
Photo 4
https://www.topafricanews.com/2021/07/07/nyandungu-urban-wetland-eco-tourism-park-where-ifak-students-visited-to-discover-scientific-facts-connecting-the-classroom-experience-with-real-life-and-authentic-experience/
Photo 1
https://gggi.org/sustainable-urban-wetlands-development-within-kigali-city-nyandungu-wetland-eco-park/
Photo 3
https://www.topafricanews.com/2021/07/07/nyandungu-urban-wetland-eco-tourism-park-where-ifak-students-visited-to-discover-scientific-facts-connecting-the-classroom-experience-with-real-life-and-authentic-experience/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.