Rwanda: extension of the gorilla park

People living in the Volcanoes National Park area will benefit from a model village called "Smart Green Village", costing more than 30 billion Rwandan francs (21 million dollars).

Construction will officially begin with the laying of the foundation stone on 4 September, during the gorilla naming day in Kinigi.

One of the key elements of the project is the enlargement of Volcanoes National Park, which will add 3,740 hectares to the current 16,000 hectares.

This extension will increase the park's area by about 23%, in order to better protect biodiversity and reduce potential conflicts between people and wildlife.

The project aims not only to relocate the people living in the extension area of Volcanoes National Park, but also to offer them a good quality of life that supports their development.

Population and land statistics show that around the park, population density is between 1,000 and 1,100 inhabitants per square kilometre. Each household has an average of just 0.15 hectares of farmable land. This is a very small area, while the population keeps growing. "If we do nothing, agricultural production will keep falling and people will become poorer," said a Rwandan official.