Nature in Rwanda

Rwanda's main natural landscapes include the Virunga and Albertine Rift mountain forests and volcanoes in the northwest, Nyungwe's Afromontane rainforest and peatlands in the southwest, and Akagera's savanna, woodland, wetlands and lakes in the east. Rwanda has 935 wetlands. Rugezi Wetland is a Ramsar site, meaning it has international recognition for its wetland value. Wetlands help store water, maintain dry-season flows, control floods and erosion, store carbon and provide habitat. The four national parks are Akagera, Nyungwe, Volcanoes and Gishwati-Mukura. Research records give different totals for protected land: approximately 240,587 hectares, or 9.13 percent, in one national biodiversity report and approximately 232,000 hectares, or 9.11 percent, in another source. The figures should not be combined because datasets and boundaries differ. Nyungwe has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2023 and covers 101,963.67 hectares. It contains 1,468 recorded vascular plant species, 317 bird species and threatened wildlife including eastern chimpanzees, golden monkeys, Angola colobus monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys and Hill's horseshoe bats. Gishwati-Mukura contains two forest blocks, became a national park in 2016 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2020. Volcanoes National Park protects mountain gorillas and golden monkeys within the transboundary Virunga massif, whose population was reported at more than 604 in 2025. Akagera is Rwanda's main savanna refuge and one of Central Africa's largest protected wetland landscapes. Lions returned there in 2015, eastern black rhinoceroses in 2017 and 2019, and southern white rhinoceroses in 2021 and 2025. The park records almost 500 bird species. Nature-compatible activities include guided tourism, approved research, conservation work, fishing and beekeeping under applicable arrangements. The Ministry of Environment coordinates national policy. The Rwanda Environment Management Authority handles environmental governance, biodiversity, environmental and social impact assessment, monitoring, education and Lake Kivu early-warning support. The Rwanda Development Board manages national parks, wildlife tourism and tourism revenue sharing. The Rwanda Forestry Authority is responsible for forests, while districts, local authorities and community committees support local implementation. Law No. 001/2023 Governing National Parks and Nature Reserves protects state and public environmental interests. Entering a protected park without permission and removing natural resources are prohibited. Authorized tourism, research and conservation activities may be allowed under the relevant permit or management conditions. Wetlands classified as totally protected allow no activities other than research and scientific work. Conditional-use wetlands require land-use change to follow environmental impact assessment requirements. A 2017 Prime Minister's Order lists wetland areas, boundaries and use conditions. General management guidance refers to 50 metres from lake shores, 20 metres around wetlands and 10 metres along rivers, but detailed boundaries can differ under Ministerial Order No. 007/16.01/2010. Visitors normally book through the Rwanda Development Board or Visit Rwanda. Gorilla trekking permits under the special offer cost USD 200 for Rwandan nationals and East African citizens and USD 500 for foreign residents and other Africans; the applicable category requires an identity document, passport or residence card, and terms can apply. Safari in Akagera, primate tracking and gorilla visits in Volcanoes, the Nyungwe Canopy Walkway and birdwatching have product- and category-dependent prices. In 2025, Rwanda's national parks recorded 155,394 visits and USD 40.8 million in revenue, including more than 59,000 domestic visits. Tourism revenue sharing assigns 10 percent of national-park tourism revenue to community projects. A separate 5 percent human-wildlife-conflict fund supports wildlife-damage compensation. The Rwanda Development Board assesses a claim before compensation is considered. Community participation does not create unrestricted access to parks; it operates through projects, committees, cooperatives, approved fishing or beekeeping and guided activities. Nature in Rwanda faces pressure from population and agricultural expansion, cultivation in wetlands, fertilizers and pesticides, peat extraction, illegal mining, infrastructure, wastewater, pollution, encroachment, poaching and snares. Human-wildlife conflict includes crop damage, livestock losses and encounters with hippos or predators. Akagera recorded 346 such cases in 2025 and uses measures including boma fences, hippo trenches and a special grant fund. In Nyungwe, detected snares fell from 11,259 in 2023 to 6,831 in 2024, supported by 92 local eco-rangers. Heavy rainfall, flash floods, landslides, drought, windstorms and soil erosion affect natural systems and communities. Climate change can shift species and habitats, change water levels and increase the spread of invasive species such as water hyacinth. Lake Kivu presents rift and volcanic hazards, including methane and limnic risks; the lake reaches about 485 metres in depth, and the Rwanda Environment Management Authority supports monitoring and early warning. Forest and wetland restoration, agroforestry, riverbank buffers and catchment management provide nature-based ways to reduce flooding, erosion and water stress. Environmental learning is included in Rwanda's competence-based curriculum. Environmental clubs and Eco-Schools operate in primary, secondary and higher education, while parks support wildlife clubs, student and teacher visits, community meetings and nature guides. Nyungwe reported 6,500 students in wildlife clubs and more than 1,500 student and local-authority visitors in 2024. Suspected environmental violations can be reported to the Rwanda Environment Management Authority through toll-free number 3989.