Conservation in Rwanda

A combination of over-population, war and political instability has been detrimental to the health of Rwanda's natural resources.

Chaotic hilltop terracing and rampant deforestation have both led to serious soil erosion; conflict and political chaos resulted in the local extinction of many large mammals and extreme land hunger saw the Akagera National Park lose two-thirds of its land in 1998.

As one of the world's few remaining homes to the critically endangered mountain gorilla and custodian of Africa's largest protected montane forests (at Nyungwe), Rwanda has a vital environmental role to play in the coming decades.

Increasing foreign investment in conservation and growing local support for sustainable environmental practices give some hope that Rwanda will find a balance between protecting its natural resources and managing human pressures.

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