Rwanda in sustainable production campaign

Rwanda is stepping up efforts to raise public environmental awareness and is taking earnest actions to promote sustainable production.

On World Environment Day, which falls on June 5, the country launched the Landscape Approach to Forest Restoration and Conservation (LAFREC) project which focuses on the rehabilitation of Gishwati and Mukura Forests Reserves.

The day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972. It is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations (UN) stimulates worldwide awareness on environment and climate change to encourage political attention to positive environmental action.

This year, the World Environment Day was celebrated under the theme "Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care."

This theme was aimed at raising public awareness about the importance of sustainable production, consumption and sustainable lifestyles.

In the run-up to World Environment Day celebrations, a wide array of activities were held in the country during the National Environmental Week which ran from May 30 to June 5.

Among them were the promotion of sustainable production based on resource efficiency and cleaner production practice, rain water harvesting and use, renewable energy use, and waste management as well as school debates and public lectures.

Hundreds of residents of Rutsiro district in western Rwanda participated in activities to mark the closure of the week-long event and some were involved in the rehabilitation of the degraded mining sites.

Josephat Hagenimana, a resident of Mukura sector, said the sustainability of forest ecosystems cannot be achieved by governments single-handedly.

"It would be a futile exercise for government to take unilateral approaches to addressing the challenges of environmental degradation," he told Xinhua.

Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) said the public has been invited to take positive actions to harmonize economic growth with environmental sustainability, while improving eco-efficiency of economic growth and enhancing synergies between environment, economy and resilience to climate change.

"The government of Rwanda, through Economic Development Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRSII), advocates programs and strategies aimed at promoting alternative jobs for income generation, including the creation of green jobs. Again, environmental sustainability and reducing vulnerability to climate change must be mainstreamed into productive and social sectors of the economy," REMA said.

"By using resources efficiently, they will be responding to the principle of sustainability of environment and equal opportunity among generations," REMA added.