Resource information
The aim of this policy brief is to describe current and historical conflicts over rights to land and natural resources within and surrounding protected areas in Rwanda. We examine the roots of contested claims between citizens and the State and offer some potential avenues for resolving these conflicts in ways that consider both the priorities of the Government of Rwanda and the rights of local communities that depend on protected area resources.
Information and analysis in this brief draws on semi-structured interviews conducted with some government line agencies, several non-governmental organizations, and private sector actors affiliated with Rwanda’s protected areas, reports and papers available online, and recent articles in the media.
We begin this brief by providing an overview of protected areas in Rwanda (Section 1). Section 2 then highlights the legal framework governing rights to use and manage land and natural resources in protected areas in Rwanda, as well as rights to the economic benefits generated by those protected areas. In Section 3, we show how rights to natural resources legally vested in the State have been contested by private citizens and the rationales for these competing claims. In
Section 4, we provide measures undertaken by the Government of Rwanda (GOR) and other partners to mitigate or resolve contested claims. The last section presents conclusions and offers some avenues for resolving contested claims through reconfiguration of rights regimes that seek to uphold environmental and biodiversity objectives while also contributing to improved livelihoods for local communities.
