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Unit 12: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION IN RWANDA
Key unit competence
At the end of this unit, you should be able to investigate the factors responsible for environmental degradation and the consequences of excessive use (over-exploitation) of environmental resources.Introduction
Conservation of the environment involves the protection and preservation of natural resources so that they do not get exhausted. It is important to apply good practices in the way we use the resources. If we use resources like forests and soils excessively without caring, our country will degenerate into a desert.
The environment contains both renewable and non-renewable resources.
The renewable resources should be used carefully so that they are given time to regenerate.
To learn more about environmental conservation we shall cover the following sections.
(i) Definition of environmental resources and environmental degradation.
(ii) Types of environmental resources in Rwanda.
(iii) Ways of exploiting environmental resources.
(iv) Causes and consequences (effects) of over-exploitation of environmental resources.
(v) Environmental conservation measures (ways of upgrading the environment).
12.1 Definition of environmental resources and environmental degradation
Activity 12.1
Using your dictionary, find out the meaning of the following words:
a) Environment
b) Resources
c) Renewable
d) Degradation
Environment refers to the surroundings. Whatever is around us is our environment. Natural environment is made up of all living and non-living things that exist without the influence of human beings. These include land, animals, vegetation, air, water and physical features.
Environmental resources refer to what exists within the environment that can be exploited for use by human beings. For instance, soil, minerals, vegetation and water are resources that we need for survival.
Some resources can be renewed while others are not renewable. For example, once minerals are extracted from the ground, they cannot be renewed. Minerals are non-renewable resources. Vegetation can be renewed by planting more trees or other plants. Vegetation is a renewable resource.
Environmental degradation occurs as a result of misuse or careless use of the environment. This leads to deterioration of the quality of the environment. For example, soil erosion and deforestation are forms of environmental degradation.
Activity 12.2
Study the photograph below and answer the questions that follow:
1.Describe the state of the land in the area.
2.Explain what may have happened for the land to become as shown.
3.In which parts of Rwanda are you likely to witness this situation?
4.Explain some of the ways in which this land can be made useful again.
Environmental degradation occurs as a result of human activities. We must use the resources in our environment sustainably so that they do not run out. This means that the rate at which we use these resources should not exceed the rate of regeneration or renewal. For example, for each tree we must cut, we should always replace it with two or more trees.
12.2 Types of environmental resources in Rwanda
Rwanda has many different types of resources. They are both living and non-living.Land, soil, minerals, air and water are non-living resources.
Vegetation and animals are living resources.
Activity 12.3
1.List down other resources found in Rwanda other than the ones mentioned above.
2.Classify the following resources as either a renewable or non-renewable resource.
• Land
• Soil
• Water
• Minerals
• Animals
• Vegetation
Give reasons for the classification you have come up with.
a) Land
Land is a scarce resource in Rwanda. This is because the population is ever increasing while the size of the land remains the same.
Activity 12.4
1.In groups, state ways in which land is a useful resource.
2.Describe ways in which land can be rehabilitated.
Each family needs land for farming and settlement. As a result, families own small pieces of land and have to utilise the land carefully so that it continues to sustain them. Land where minerals, building stones and sand have been extracted should be rehabilitated. However, it is better to use the land well than to work towards rehabilitating it later.
b) Soil
Activity 12.5
1.In pairs, discuss the uses of soil as a resource.
2.Using the knowledge gained from the study of Unit 5 in this book:
i) Explain factors that lead to soil degeneration and exhaustion.
ii) Briefly describe types of soil erosion.
iii) Describe methods used to conserve and protect soils.
Soil is another very important resource because it is the one that sustains plant growth. Soil degenerates either through soil erosion or by losing its fertility.
In Rwanda, many areas are hilly. For this reason, farmers are forced to use cultivation methods that protect soil from degradation. They plough along the contours and plant cover crops on these bands to hold the soil and avoid erosion by rain water. They also use organic manure to enrich the soil with nutrients.
c) Water
Activity 12.6
1.In groups, come up with a list of water resources in Rwanda. Give examples where possible.
2.Enumerate the uses of water resources.
3.Describe ways in which water resources can be protected.
Water resources in Rwanda are in form of rivers, lakes, wetlands and rain water. Lakes and rivers get water from rainfall and from springs found in the highlands. Water sources have to be protected so that the rivers and lakes do not dry up. In addition, we must protect water from pollutants to keep it clean for human and animal use. It is important to harvest rain water and store it for use during the dry seasons.
d) Minerals
Activity 12.7
1.In groups, use an atlas to identify various minerals mined in Rwanda.
2.Where are the minerals in (1) above mined?
3.Explain the importance of minerals to the economic development of Rwanda.
4.Discuss ways in which derelict land can be rehabilitated.
Minerals are non-renewable resources. Rwanda has minerals such as tin, tungsten and tantalum. These minerals are extracted and once removed they do not regenerate. Sustainable exploitation of minerals means that once exploited, the mineral must be used to bring about development.
Minerals are usually exported to earn the country foreign exchange. This money is then used to develop industries and other sectors such as road construction and building schools, colleges and hospitals.
e) Vegetations
Activity 12.8
1.Take a walk around your school. Identify and list the types of plants around your school.
2.Describe the importance of vegetation as an environmental resource.
3.Outline ways in which vegetation can be protected and conserved.
Vegetation is an important resource as it is the source of things like timber, firewood and food for animals. Natural vegetation is also home for wild animals and also a source of valuable products like herbs and honey.
f) Animals
Animals are also an important resource. Domestic animals are a source of meat and milk. Wild animals are tourist attraction and through tourism, the country gets foreign exchange. Fish resources also earn income as well as providing meat.
Activity 12.9
1.Use the table below to give the types of domestic and wild animals in our country.
2.Explain ways in which the animals mentioned above are useful resources.
12.3 Ways of exploiting environmental resources
Land
In Rwanda, parts of the land under natural vegetation are used for various purposes. Some are used as national forest reserves, wildlife conservation parks, protected water catchment areas, national wetlands and areas for urban development. The rest of the land belongs to the people who own pieces of land and are free to use it in a way to sustain crop production.
Farming land is a very valuable resource yet it is highly fragmented and most people own small pieces. The central part of Rwanda is hilly and very densely populated. People own land on these slopes of the hills. They are forced to use their land carefully so that they can get as much crop yields as possible every season. Part of each family’s small piece of land is set aside for the homestead while the rest is for growing crops and grazing.
Soil
People who live on the hilly areas practice contour farming and terracing on their farms. This helps keep the soils stable so that it is not carried by rain water. The other challenge is that farming is done continuously on the small pieces of land. This causes the soils to become exhausted leading to low crop yields. The farmers have to use fertiliser and manure to improve soil quality.
Vegetation
Rwanda’s natural vegetation is found in very few areas which have been set aside as forest reserves. The biggest is the Nyungwe Forest Reserve. Cutting of trees in the forest reserves is strictly prohibited. There are forest guards who are employed to ensure that only those licensed are allowed to cut trees. As trees are cut down, more trees must be planted so that there will be no time there is a shortage of trees. Farmers are encouraged to practice agroforestry where they plant trees on their farms together with the crops.
Other trees are planted along the river valleys to control possible erosion by the river on the banks. The trees also provide firewood and timber.
Rwanda has a national tree planting day when everybody is expected to plant a tree. However, tree planting is a continuous process. Tree nurseries are prepared by the government and by individuals to supply seedlings all the time.
Wildlife
Wild animals are a very important resource in Rwanda. They are a national heritage that has to be carefully used. Wild animals are tourist attraction and enable the country to earn foreign exchange. Without animals like the mountain gorilla, the number of foreign tourists would be very small. Animals must therefore be taken care of. National parks are set up so as to protect these animals from poachers. We must avoid hunting wild animals unless we have been given a license to do so.
Water resources
The water resources in Rwanda are lakes, rivers, wetlands and rainwater.
•These sources provide water for domestic, industrial and agricultural use.
•The lakes, rivers and some swamps are important sources of fish.
•Rivers in Rwanda provide water for irrigation and generating hydro-electric power.
Remember!
Lakes such as Kivu are threatened with over-exploitation of fish. This is because fishermen use nets with small mesh and catch young fish. Fish breeding is affected as all the fish gets caught. Fishing can only be done sustainably by restricting fishing and the fishing methods to protect the young fish for continued breeding.
Wetlands are threatened by pollution, clearing of vegetation such as reeds and farming within and around the swamps. These practices are controlled through giving advice on sustainable use of the wetlands. Those living near the wetlands are advised to avoid polluting the water by using poisoning method to catch fish. They are also asked to allow swamp vegetation to regenerate. Careful farming around the swamps protects the resource.
12.4 Causes and consequences (effects) of over-exploitation of environmental resources
Activity 12.10
In groups, research from geographical documents and internet on the effects of over-exploitation of:
1.Gishwati forests reserve.
2.Monocropping
Present your findings for class discussion
Land
Overexploitation of land in Rwanda happens because the population is very high and most of the people are small scale farmers. They own small plots of land which they cultivate every year. The land is not given time to rest since people have to farm to obtain food.
Activity 12.11
In groups, explain the effects of soil exhaustion.Prepare a report for class discussion.
Forests
Due to the high population, the demand for firewood and building materials is very high. This has led to exploitation of forests leading to reduced areas under forest. Some forest such as Gishwati were completely cleared until the government stepped in to control further exploitation. The current forest reserves are guarded to stop further tree felling that is not authorised. Tree planting activities have been stepped up to increase the areas under forests.
Animals
Animals, both domestic and wild, are important to us. We protect them from misuse or even killing them for selfish reasons.
Activity 12.12
1. Using an atlas, make a list of national parks and game reserves in Rwanda.
2. Explain why poaching has a negative effect on the economy of our country.
Fish
Over-exploitation of fish happens when fishermen use nets such as mosquito nets which catch all the fish both the young and the mature ones.The effect is that fish breeding process stops and the fishery has no more fish unless there is restocking and restricted fishing to allow fish to regenerate. Poisoning as a fishing method is dangerous because the poison kills all the fish and any other living things in the water. It is also dangerous to use such water for bathing or for cooking.
Wetlands
Due to scarcity of land, people have encroached on the wetlands removing the vegetation to allow for farming. Some wetlands have dried up as a result. Some wetlands have been polluted affecting all the living things both plants and animals in the water.
12.5 Environmental conservation measures (ways of upgrading the environment)
There are different methods of conservation of the environment.
Activity 12.13
Imagine that you are the government minister in charge of forests. You need to give advice to citizens on how to use forests sustainably on national television channel. Write a paragraph on each of the following points explaining what you would tell them:
1.Importance of conserving forests near water resources
2.The need for preparing tree nurseries and tree planting
3. Importanceofpreventingforestfires
4.Dangers of illegal tree cutting
5.Importance of agroforestry
Present your report for class discussion.
Remember!
World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated every year on 5th June. This is done to encourage people to use the environment reasonably so as to protect nature and the planet Earth. The day is organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Land
Land conservation includes taking care of land itself, soils and vegetation.
Activity 12.14
With the guidance of your teacher, take a walk around the area surrounding your school. Observe, enquire and make notes on the methods used by the locals and the government to protect and conserve land.
Land conservation measures include:
(i) Using good farming practices - Farmers whose land is on sloping areas have to terrace their land to control soil erosion and sustain productivity.Cover crops such as bananas, sweet potatoes, tea and grass are planted to help conserve soils.
(ii) Proper planning of land use – Well planned land use ensures misuse of land is avoided. For example, the government has set aside some areas to be used as national forest reserves and wildlife conservation parks, protected water catchment areas, national wetlands and areas for urban development.
(iii) Protection of water catchment areas – Water catchment areas are conserved by ensuring that vegetation is not cleared as this can lead to the water drying up.
(iv) Planting trees in the farms (agroforestry) – Farmers are encouraged to plant trees in their farms to protect soil from erosion as well as supplying firewood and timber for building. Afforestation and reforestation programmes are also conducted to upgrade areas that had been affected by deforestation.
(v) Controlling of forest fires – Fire can destroy vegetation in large area within a short time. Forest fires are sometimes carelessly caused by those collecting honey or cigarette smokers. Land affected by such fires take long to recover its vegetation and soil fertility. Forest rangers are employed to ensure any fire spotted is put off before it spreads. They also guard forests against illegal cutting of trees.
Taking care of the land after mining
Minerals are non-living natural resources which are not replaceable once depleted. Minerals like tin, tantalum and tungsten which occur in Rwanda cannot be replaced once removed from the ground.
Mining has a serious effect on the land if care is not taken. The effect of mining on land is known as land dereliction. This is abandoning an area after mining has been done in a state which has little or no economic value. Once the minerals have been extracted, piles of waste rock and gaping pits are created within the mining area. Such waste land cannot support vegetation or agriculture unless it is rehabilitated. Usually, mining companies are unwilling to spend money on rehabilitation of such land. The government has to enforce laws to ensure the mining company fills up the pits and flattens the piles of waste rock then plants some vegetation before abandoning the site. This process is known as land reclamation. This is a process of making land useful by restoring it from quarries and wastes left after mining has taken place. This upgrades the environment in former mining sites.
Setting up aquariums on the mining pits can upgrade the environment.Such aquariums can be used as fish hatcheries for valuable fish species which can be used to restock the fisheries that are overfished.
Conservation of water
Conservation of water resources is a way of upgrading the environment. An area that has water attracts settlement, agricultural activities, and animal and plant life. All living organisms require water to survive.
Activity 12.15
In groups, discuss ways that can be used to conserve water resources. Write a report for a class presentation.
Water conservation processes include the following:
(i) Avoiding to discharge waste materials into water bodies. For example, owners of factories should not discharge oils and dirty water into lakes, rivers or swamps. Bathing in stagnant water makes it dirty and unsuitable for drinking. Excess soap in the water can destroy the animal and plant life in that water.
(ii) Protecting the vegetation around the sources of rivers. If springs are exposed to too much sun heat, the water will evaporate and rivers will dry up. The bamboo vegetation on parts of Nyungwe forest are protected because they help hold water that slowly feeds rivers.
(iii) Avoiding wastage of water. It is important to make sure that water pipes are not leaking and water taps are turned off after use.
(iv) Controlling soil erosion. Soil erosion leads to water pollution as silt is deposited in the water making is unsafe for drinking. Soil erosion leads to silting of rivers, lakes and swamps. If more and more silt is deposited in these water bodies, they become shallow could eventually dry up.
It is important to conserve wildlife for future generation.
(v) Harvesting and conserving rain water.
(iv) Building dams to hold storm water. Dams should be constructed on rivers in order to hold back water which is then released in a regulated way for people to use. Such water can be used for irrigation, for domestic use or for generating electricity. Where there are dams, water supply is guaranteed.
It is important to protect the vegetation around river catchment areas.
Conserving wildlife
Conserving wildlife is a way of upgrading the environment. This is because wildlife is a resource that enables the government to generate income.
Activity 12.16
Write a paragraph on the ways that the Volcanoes National Park contributes to the economy of Rwanda.
We should avoid over exploitation of wildlife through poaching. This way, the environment where these animals live will remain valuable to the country.
END OF UNIT REVISION EXERCISE
1.Explain the meaning of:
(a) Environmental resources
(b) Environmental degradation
2.Give three proper ways of farming that protects soils from erosion.
3.Explain the causes of over-exploitation of forests in Rwanda
4.Describe the measures that should be taken to ensure water resources in Rwanda are conserved.