Akagera National Park, Rwanda

Achievements

A Board consisting of Rwanda Development Board and African Parks representatives was appointed and by September 2010 the 2011-2015 Business Plan and a Tourism Plan had been finalised.

Funding for the operational costs of Akagera National Park has to date been secured with generous contributions from the Walton Family Foundation, Stichting DOEN, the Dutch Postcode Lottery, Stichting African Parks Foundation and the Rwanda Development Board. The Rwandan Government is unique in being the only Government assisting financially towards the management of a park within the African Parks portfolio.

Prior to 2010, 59 people were employed at Akagera, however since then Akagera Management Company has employed an additional 198 people, bringing the total number of employees to 257, of which all but three are Rwandan Nationals.

Infrastructure development has seen good progress, with the initial construction phases focused on renovating existing structures while environmental approvals were obtained for new construction. To date, management housing, volunteer and research accommodation and staff quarters have all been improved or constructed, as has the renovation of a community centre, construction of a ranger's office complex, a workshop and storerooms and a new gate entrance. A new day visitor's centre and reception with a cafe, shop and education centre is currently under construction.

Road clearance has also progressed well, with 238km of the road network cleared and graded by July 2011. Two boreholes have been drilled and reservoirs constructed to supply water to the staff village and new day visitor centre. The Government of Rwanda has committed to paying for the erection of an electrified fence along the western boundary of the park, which is due to be completed in late 2012.

Since 2010, Lake Shakani and Lake Mihindi in the park, have been cleared of water hyacinth, an invasive alien plant. A large area of the western plain which is prime game habitat has also been cleared of an indigenous sickle bush infestation. This species encroached in an area which had been subjected to heavy overgrazing by cattle in the recent past, assisted by a poor fire management regime.

When Akagera Management Company first took over management, law enforcement was a challenge due to an understaffed scout force and a lack of resources. Today 42 scouts are employed and they are well equipped with rifles, uniforms and GPS units. Three new boats enable the scouts to patrol the wetland systems as well. Since 2010, 186 poachers have been apprehended and 2,534 snares have been removed from the park.

Goals

A five-year management plan has been formulated to supports the long term vision of the park, stated as follows: - "To restore, develop and manage Akagera National Park as a functioning savannah ecosystem through biodiversity rehabilitation, sound conservation practices and sustainable tourism development, thereby creating tangible economic benefits for the people of Rwanda and in particular to neighbouring communities.”

Outlined below is a summary of the key elements of this plan.

Park Infrastructure

· Akagera will be a fully developed park with all required infrastructure in place and under an active repairs & maintenance programme. The park will have excellent fencing, tourism accommodation, road networks and signage, entry gates, and all other facilities required for the proper management of the park.

· The western boundary of the park will be fenced and all major human-animal conflicts eliminated.

· The commercial fishing operation will be closed and the lakes in the park will form an integral part of the visitor experience.

Law Enforcement

· Poaching will have been reduced to acceptably low levels, with little or no poaching of large mammals.

· Law enforcement staff will be well equipped and trained and a strong informer network will be in place.

· Effective relations will also have been established with Tanzania to curb poaching and illegal smuggling activities by Tanzanians entering into the park.

Human Resources and Administration

· The park will be managed by a competent management team, with best practice accounting, operational and contracting procedures.

· Akagera will demonstrate significant capacity building amongst local staff and will have played a vital role in improving the standards of park management and tourism development in Rwanda.

Bio-diversity Conservation, Monitoring and Habitat Management

· The ecological integrity of the park will be fully restored and in pristine condition. Alien species will be removed on land and in the lakes, and erosion caused by cattle will be remediated.

· An effective fire management plan will be in place.

· Poaching levels will have reduced sufficiently to justify the reintroduction of black rhino and lion, restoring Akagera's "Big 5” status. All other animal numbers will also be thriving.

Community Development

· The park will contribute 5% of its income towards neighbouring community projects and will attract other rural development organisations to work with Akagera to implement meaningful social programmes.

· There will be demonstrable support from local communities for the park, which will be achieved through offering employment opportunities, environmental education initiatives, poverty relief projects, and environmental education and community liaison programmes. Support will be evidenced in positive attitudes, visitation levels to the park and reduced poaching levels.

Tourism and Other Revenue Generation

· Akagera will be self-financing from park entry fees, concession fees, and other tourist income.

· Formal tourism concessions will be in place and 200–250 beds will be available to tourists. These developments will dramatically raise the profile of Akagera and will position it as the savannah park of choice for overseas tourists who come to Rwanda to see gorillas.

· A day-visitor centre, park operated activities, a wilderness area and various camp sites will provide affordable options for tourists. The park will maintain a pricing structure that is affordable for Rwandan citizens.

· Akagera will be an integral and successful component of the local, regional and national economy.