Gishwati Forest
The Gishwati Forest ( Foret de Naturel Gishwati ) was earlier after the Nyungwe Forest is the second largest natural forest in Rwanda. The Afro- montane forest stretched along the central African rift system on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu southeast of the lakeside town of Gisenyi and was once more connected to the Nyungwe Forest in the south.
The expansion of the Gishwati forest, as it is not marked on most maps today no longer exists. Today - as well as on NASA satellite images visible - only a few spots left for the forest. Instead, there are now new settlements, freshly deforested fields and tea plantations. The Gishwati Forest has been so largely destroyed for the purpose of agricultural development.
In the year 1960 28 000 ha were covered with forest. In several episodes of Gishwati was cut down by civil war returnees after 1994, so that in the year only 1,500 acres were covered with forest. The relatively small, only 700 hectares in the 2009 Forest reserve forest reserve Gishwati is managed by MINIRENA / NAFA. With natural limitations of stones and hedges is trying to preserve at least this area. As a result of deforestation are landslides and flooding of fields and settlements in the valleys during the rainy season the result.
Flora and Fauna
Due to the deforestation caused by the high population pressure in Rwanda and refugees from the Congo biodiversity is severely damaged, 99.7 % of the animal population has disappeared ( East African chimpanzee Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, Angola Colobus Colobus angolensis ruwenzorii, Potamochoerus porcus, Cephalophus nigrifons, Dendrohyrax arboreus, Felis Felis serval and aurata ), the wild fruits, which played an important role for the people living there before, have decreased by 93.3 %, wild vegetables disappeared to 99.6 %, wild medicinal plants to 79.9 %.
The Gishwati launched in 2007 Area Conservation Program ( GACP ) was expanded in 2010 with a project for a 30 km long forest corridor between Gishwati and Nyungwe Forest, in order to enable the barely existing wildlife on a hike. This protection programs are designed to help Rwanda reforest 2020; Environmental target is a cover of the territory comprising 30 % forest. Responsible is the Rwandan Ministry of Lands and Environment. The plan is long-term protection in addition to the current three national parks other former territories to the extent that other national parks can be established. In the future Gishwati National Conservation Park next zones for conservation and tourism areas should also be recognized sustainable forest management. When connected, Nyungwe National Park is a partnership with the National University of Rwanda.
Hut of shepherds, 2004
Livestock in the mountains of Gishwati - forest area
Right of the picture a ruined house