The Rwanda Red Cross society has launched a project to plant and nurture about three million trees in 36 months to help mitigate the impact of climate change in Rwanda.
The announcement was made on November 29, 2022 in a meeting between the Red Cross and its partners in Karongi district.
The President of the Red Cross of Rwanda, Françoise Mukandekezi attributed the recurring disasters in the country, such as floods, and drought to the increased negative impact of human activities such as the felling of trees for charcoal production on the already fragile environment
“We have a plan to plant up to a million trees throughout the country, and we will put in place measures to protect and care for them to ensure that they nurture and survive. At times when people who plant trees don’t protect them, and they eventually die, we’re going to work in collaboration with local authorities and other stakeholders”.
According to the Red Cross society, the plan is to plant multi-purpose trees that have an economic value to the people including fruit trees, and the plan is to have them planted in the Western Province where the area is often affected by disasters.
The Western province has a large part which is mountainous, since it’s near Congo Nile; the area is vulnerable to the problem of violence and ‘Erosion.
Wambamaria pointed out that the trees will help the province fight erosion, malnutrition, and also help the community earn income through the sale of timber.
“The program is not only intended to deal with climate change, but also to fight against disasters. We have started an intensive campaign against erosion, including planting trees to make automatic terraces” She noted
The Red Cross operates throughout the country, and in each sector has a team to help prevent disasters and provide first aid in the event of a disaster.
In the prevention of disasters, the organization helps the people to fix the roofs, cut the water pipes. In the event of a disaster, they provide funds to help people during disasters by providing them with basic supplies such as food.
