Restoring and Protecting Amasangano confluence wetland zone in Rwanda for Enhanced Ecological Integrity and Sustainable Community Livelihoods

This project aims at promoting restoration and sustainable practices around Amasangano to make it a healthy home to biodiversity, a perfect attraction for tourism and a source of sustainable livelihoods of local communities. Specific objectives include:

1. Restoring the Amasangano wetland integrity through natural regeneration, reintroduction of native wetland species and closing the clay quarry holes;
2. Protecting the Amasangano wetland and its ecological integrity through river bank and buffer zone protection, water hyacinth removal, sustainable fishing and promoting sustainable practices in the catchment;
3. Promoting sustainable economic solutions through ecotourism.

This project will be implemented in an inclusive and participatory way to involve local communities in planning, implementation, long-term monitoring and evaluation. This will be supported by “BEST”, an integrated approach developed and used by ARCOS Network through its Nature-Based Community Development Programme. This approach is built on community partnership, mindset-change and ownership of interventions. (BEST in full: B: Building leadership and sustainable community institutions; E: Enhancing environmental resilience; S: Sustainable business solutions; T: Transforming and inspiring other) Project’s main activities:

1. Restoring Amasangano wetland integrity;
2. Protecting Amasangano wetland through sustainable practices in the catchment;
3. Developing sustainable economic solutions through ecotourism