{"id":42,"date":"2025-08-02T17:05:56","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T17:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/?p=42"},"modified":"2025-08-02T17:05:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T17:05:57","slug":"rwanda-receives-rwf-140-million-grant-to-boost-nyandungu-eco-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/?p=42","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda Receives RWF 140 Million Grant to Boost Nyandungu Eco-Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB Group)<\/strong> has granted Rwanda RWF 140 million (approx. USD 100,000)<\/strong> to support the development and expansion of Nyandungu Eco-Tourism Park<\/strong>, a flagship green project located in Kigali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nyandungu Eco-Park serves as a vital green space in the capital, offering residents and visitors a place to relax, walk, and engage in recreational sports while enjoying clean air and nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nyandungu Eco-Park: A Growing Urban Green Haven<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2024 alone, the park welcomed 76,754 visitors<\/strong>, a significant rise from 67,222 in 2023<\/strong> and 48,813 in 2022<\/strong>.
Currently, Nyandungu Park spans 121 hectares<\/strong>, including 70 hectares of wetlands<\/strong> and 50 hectares of restored forest<\/strong>. The park is home to over 62 native plant species<\/strong>, many of which have medicinal properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plans are underway to expand the park by an additional 43 hectares<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Kambogo Ildephonse<\/strong>, the Park\u2019s General Manager, over 200 species of birds<\/strong> have returned to Nyandungu after restoration efforts revived its wetland ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe recovery of biodiversity here is one of our greatest achievements,\u201d he said, referencing the publication of “Falling for the Birds of Kigali,”<\/em> a comprehensive guide to bird species found in the park.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Visitor Demographics Show Strong Local Engagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The park\u2019s visitor base in 2024 included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • 70% Rwandan nationals<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 20% foreign residents in Rwanda<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 10% international tourists<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    These numbers highlight the park’s growing popularity as both a local recreation hub<\/strong> and a sustainable tourism destination<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    A Model for Eco-Friendly Urban Development<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Nyandungu wetland restoration began in 2016<\/strong>, aimed at combating environmental degradation and showcasing the role of wetlands in flood mitigation<\/strong>, wastewater treatment<\/strong>, and urban climate resilience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The transformation involved the planting of 17,000 indigenous trees<\/strong> from 55 species<\/strong> and generated over 4,000 green jobs<\/strong> related to environmental conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The park officially opened to the public in 2022<\/strong> and has since become a symbol of Rwanda\u2019s commitment to nature-based solutions<\/strong> for sustainable urban development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Scaling Up Green Initiatives Across Kigali<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Following the success of Nyandungu, Rwanda has launched a broader initiative to restore five more wetlands<\/strong> in Kigali<\/strong>, aiming to promote eco-tourism<\/strong>, urban recreation<\/strong>, and resilience against climate impacts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These wetlands will feature a combined 58.5 kilometers of pedestrian and cycling paths<\/strong>, with resting benches placed every 500 meters<\/strong> to enhance accessibility for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wetlands under restoration include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Kibumba Wetland<\/strong> \u2013 68 hectares<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Nyabugogo Wetland<\/strong> \u2013 131 hectares<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Rugenge\u2013Rwintare Wetland<\/strong> \u2013 65 hectares<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Gikondo Wetland<\/strong> \u2013 162 hectares (56% complete)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Rwampala Wetland<\/strong> \u2013 65 hectares (20% complete)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      According to the Ministry of Environment, Kigali\u2019s wetland area has shrunk from 100 square kilometers to 77<\/strong>, prompting urgent efforts to restore 15 square kilometers<\/strong> of degraded wetlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      Rwanda\u2019s Vision: Urban Growth in Harmony with Nature<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The Ministry of Environment emphasized that these restoration projects are part of Rwanda\u2019s strategy to address urban challenges through environmentally integrated planning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      By blending green infrastructure<\/strong> with sustainable urban growth<\/strong>, Rwanda is positioning itself as a regional leader in eco-urbanism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB Group) has granted Rwanda RWF 140 million (approx. USD 100,000) to support the development and expansion of Nyandungu Eco-Tourism Park,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44,"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions\/44"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/waramutse.icu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}