Environmental Conservation in Rwanda
Senior 2 · Geography and Environment
Environmental Conservation in Rwanda
Lesson 1 of 3
18 min
Rwanda has no oil and no coastline. Its wealth lies in fertile soils, forests, rivers, lakes, wildlife and scenery. These resources feed families, earn tourist dollars and make the country liveable. They can be used wisely and last for ever, or be used up in a generation. This lesson defines the key ideas and lists Rwanda's environmental resources.
Conservation is not the same as locking resources away. A farmer who terraces a slope and keeps farming it is conserving the soil. A fishing cooperative that uses legal nets and rests the lake during breeding is conserving the fish.
| Resource | Rwandan examples | Main uses |
|---|---|---|
| Land and soils | Volcanic soils of Musanze; alluvial valley soils | Farming, settlement, grazing |
| Forests and vegetation | Nyungwe, Gishwati–Mukura, bamboo on the Virungas; woodlots; savanna in Akagera | Timber, fuel, water catchment, tourism |
| Water | Lake Kivu, the Nyabarongo, the Akagera, Rugezi and other wetlands | Drinking water, HEP, irrigation, fishing, transport |
| Wildlife | Mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, lions, rhinos, papyrus birds | Tourism, research, heritage |
| Minerals and rocks | Cassiterite, coltan and wolfram; granite, clay and sand | Export earnings, construction |
| Climate and air | Mild highland climate, two rainy seasons | Farming, health, comfortable living |
| Scenery | The thousand hills, volcanoes, lake shores | Tourism, recreation |
For each case, say whether the resource is renewable, and whether the case shows conservation or degradation.
Tip
Memory hook. Conservation means using resources as you would a bank account: live on the interest, never spend the capital. Cut only as many trees as grow back, and catch only as many fish as are born. Degradation is spending the capital.
Solution: the decline in the quality of the environment through the loss or damage of resources. Example: soil erosion on steep, bare hillsides (or forest loss in Gishwati).
Solution: non-renewable: it exists in fixed deposits that are not replaced within human lifetimes.
Solution: for example forests and water (also soil, fish, wildlife).
Solution: yes: she keeps using the land while protecting the soil, which is sustainable use.
Summary
Sources and credits
The definitions, the resource table, the worked example and the practice items are written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
