• Rwanda launches Nyungwe-Ruhango ecosystem restoration project backed by GEF funding
• REMA to implement across Southern Province under Green Amayaga programme
• Project to restore land, create jobs, support 290,000 people

Rwanda’s environment agency has launched an ecosystem restoration initiative in the Nyungwe-Ruhango corridor in the south of the country. The project is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and will be implemented with technical support from the World Bank over five years.

Nyungwe–Ruhango Corridor Restoration Project has officially launched under the #GreenAmayaga Program!

Read the full press release on how this initiative is restoring ecosystems, empowering communities, and strengthening Rwanda’s climate resilience.#GreenRwanda pic.twitter.com/j4CxzaYXNF

— Rwanda Environment Management Authority (@REMA_Rwanda) March 17, 2026

The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) will roll out the initiative across several districts in the Southern Province, including Nyanza, Ruhango and Nyamagabe, under the Green Amayaga programme focused on sustainable landscape management and nature-based solutions.

The project aligns with Rwanda’s climate commitments, including its National Transformation Strategy, Vision 2050 and its targets under the Paris Agreement. The country aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

“By expanding the work initiated under the Green Amayaga Project, we are scaling up ecosystem restoration efforts that protect biodiversity, reduce climate risks, and support sustainable livelihoods,” REMA Director General Juliet Kabera said.

A project with environmental and economic benefits

The project will restore more than 2,100 hectares of forests and wetlands and promote sustainable practices across nearly 9,000 hectares of farmland. Plans also include reforestation, riverbank rehabilitation and agroforestry development. In total, nearly 290,000 people are expected to benefit directly, notably through new income-generating activities.

The Nyungwe-Ruhango corridor faces multiple environmental pressures, including soil erosion, land degradation, biodiversity loss, as well as floods and landslides that affect agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.

In July 2025, the World Bank approved a $9 million GEF grant for the project. According to the institution, the initiative could create more than 2,200 jobs, particularly through value chains linked to non-timber forest products, fruit tree planting and support for small green businesses.

Charlène N’dimon