After five years of work, the time has come for the Nyandungu urban wetland ecotourism park to show its assets to visitors. This ecotourism jewel located in Gasabo, one of the three districts of the capital Kigali, will be accessible to the public from February 2, 2022, the date marking World Wetlands Day.
According to the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), the work started in 2016 cost about 5 billion Rwandan francs (or 4.5 million dollars), a little more than half of which was granted by the Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA). This investment could generate up to 1 billion Rwandan francs in revenue for the government during the first decade of operation of the site, provided that it is popular with tourists.
Biodiversity in miniature
Nestled in the valley between Kimironko and Masoro-Bumbogo Hill in the Ndera sector, Nyandungu Park covers an area of 121.7 hectares. Different species of butterflies have established themselves in this urban wetland where cranes and 70 other bird species fly freely.
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Visitors will also be attracted by the medicinal garden covered with indigenous plants, but also by several water basins named after popular lakes in Rwanda, including Muhazi, Kivu, Ruhondo and Ihema. The fig tree forest around the park also provides shade for the eight-kilometer-long walkways and dedicated bike paths that facilitate mobility. An asset to jog or cycle while enjoying the serenity of the natural environment where the air is still pure
Benoit-Ivan Wansi