{"id":21688,"date":"2022-07-08T15:39:49","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T15:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/nyandungu-eco-park-gets-management-opens-to-public"},"modified":"2022-07-08T15:52:45","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T15:52:45","slug":"nyandungu-eco-park-gets-management-opens-to-public","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/photo\/nyandungu-eco-park-gets-management-opens-to-public","title":{"rendered":"Nyandungu Eco-Park gets management, opens to public"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) have signed a six-month agreement with QA Venue Solutions to open and manage Nyandungu Eco-Park.<\/p>\n

QA Venue Solutions is a pan-African venue solutions provider in the event venue, entertainment & hospitality industry in South Africa and Rwanda.<\/p>\n

From a degraded wetland to an educational and recreational eco-park in the heart of Rwanda\u2019s capital city, Nyandungu Eco-Park is now open to the public effective Friday July 8, 2022.<\/p>\n

The 121 hectare park (70 hectares of wetland and 50 hectares of forest) features a medicinal garden, a Pope\u2019s garden, five catchment ponds, three recreation ponds, an information centre, a restaurant as well as 10km of walkways and bike lanes.<\/p>\n

The park is home to more than 62 local plant species and more than 100 bird species and is the first public recreational and touristic facility of its kind in Kigali.<\/p>\n

Juliet Kabera, Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority, said the Nyandungu wetland represents the value of restoring urban ecosystems, and will serve as a blueprint for other wetlands in Kigali and across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cUrban wetlands play a critical role in preventing flooding, addressing pollution and are home to unique biodiversity. As we face the impacts of climate change, wetlands will be a key ally to protect lives and livelihoods. We look forward to working with our partners to replicate the success of restoring Nyandungu in other urban wetlands in Kigali and across the country,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The rapid growth of Kigali and the associated human activities have put significant pressure on the wetlands.<\/p>\n

Wetlands, including Nyandungu, have been degraded and this led to biodiversity loss.<\/p>\n

Encroachment has also resulted in downstream flooding as well as increased pollution due sewage outflows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe restoration of Nyandungu wetland to an eco-tourism park serves as an example of Rwanda\u2019s efforts and commitment towards environmental protection, particularly for the conservation of wetland ecosystems as well as eco-tourism,\u201d said Zephanie Niyonkuru, Deputy CEO of the Rwanda Development Board.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to welcoming local and international tourists to create fond memories in this new biodiversity hotspot in Kigali.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teddy Mugabo, CEO of the Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) added: \u201cInvesting in nature is the best investment we can make. By protecting and restoring our ecosystems, we create jobs, improve people’s well-being and build community resilience to climate change and extreme weather events.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the first phase of the agreement is a trial of six months and the second phase will see an extension to five years or more of managing the park.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least 200 jobs will be created in the management of the park,\u201d se noted.<\/p>\n

The Nyandungu Eco-Park will be open from 6am to 6pm, seven days a week.<\/p>\n

QA Venue Solutions is expected to offer guided tours to visitors and its attractions and will soon, at the end of the month, announce what (packages) it requires for tourists and visitors to visit the park.<\/p>\n

“Our aim through this partnership is to work side by side with the government to achieve the objectives set out for the Nyandungu wetland, while preserving the space and allowing for the community to benefit from it through educational and recreational activities,” said Kyle Schofield, Managing Director, QA Venue Solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe initial phase of the partnership is to understand the park and open the park for the visitors\u2019 experience. We will create a system to access the park,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Initial projections indicate that the park should generate over Rwf1bn profit in the first 12 years of operation, meaning approximately over Rwf83.3m every year.<\/p>\n

However, when asked, officials didn\u2019t disclose if the projected revenues were revised.<\/p>\n

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