On this International Day for Biological Diversity, the global community is called to act locally for global impact. In Rwanda, this is not a slogan. It is a deliberate national strategy. We recognize that the health of our ecosystems underpins our economy, our communities, and our future, while delivering benefits far beyond our borders.
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Biodiversity - the rich variety of life, from plants and animals to insects and microorganisms - is what makes the planet habitable. At its core, biodiversity enables ecosystems to function, and it is these ecosystems that provide the services on which economies and societies depend. They supply food, water, and raw materials; regulate climate, floods, and pollination; and sustain the natural systems that make life possible. Biodiversity also underpins cultural identity, resilience, and economic opportunity, including tourism and nature-based livelihoods.
In the hills of northern Rwanda, the recovery of mountain gorillas stands as one of the world's most visible conservation successes. Once on the brink of extinction, their population has rebounded through sustained protection, science-based management, and strong community partnership. In Kigali, restored wetlands are reducing flood risks, supporting biodiversity, and creating green public spaces for urban communities. Together, these examples point to a broader truth: investing in nature locally delivers impact globally.
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Yet biodiversity loss is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. This is not only an environmental crisis--it is an economic and development challenge. The urgency of this year's theme is therefore clear. For Africa, where natural capital remains a foundation of growth and livelihoods, the stakes are particularly high. In several African countries, tourism contributes a significant share of national income and employment. In Rwanda, tourism remains one of the country's leading sources of foreign exchange and economic opportunity. But this moment also presents an opportunity: with the right choices, countries can restore nature while advancing inclusive and resilient growth.
Rwanda's approach is grounded in a simple but transformative principle: biodiversity is not a sector--it is national infrastructure. Through our National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2025-2030), biodiversity has been embedded into Rwanda's broader development agenda, aligned with economic planning, climate resilience, and community well-being. These national priorities are also aligned with the global commitments adopted under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This ensures that decisions across sectors--from agriculture and urban development to infrastructure and finance--reflect the value of nature while contributing to shared global biodiversity targets.
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The results are tangible. Rwanda has strengthened its protected areas network, including the recognition of Gishwati-Mukura as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. In Akagera National Park, the reintroduction of lions and rhinos has helped restore ecological balance while increasing the park's economic contribution through tourism. Across the country, ongoing restoration efforts are expanding forest cover and advancing biodiversity recovery through the targeted establishment of biodiversity sanctuaries using native species. These outcomes reflect sustained policy commitment, strong institutions, and long-term investment.
Equally central is our focus on people. Conservation in Rwanda is built on community partnership. Through revenue-sharing mechanisms, tourism income is reinvested in communities surrounding protected areas, supporting schools, health centers, and local enterprises. At the same time, efforts to expand access to trees and forest resources outside protected areas are helping meet livelihood needs while reducing pressure on fragile ecosystems. Conservation has increasingly shifted from being perceived as a constraint to becoming a source of opportunity--strengthening local stewardship while reducing threats such as poaching and ecosystem degradation.
We are also clear about the challenges. Rwanda is one of Africa's most densely populated countries, and pressure on land remains significant. Balancing the demands of agriculture, infrastructure, housing, and conservation therefore requires constant innovation and strong governance. Our land use master plans intentionally allocate biodiversity and green areas at national, district, and neighbourhood levels to ensure that development and conservation objectives are planned together. Rwanda's experience reflects a broader global challenge: how to reconcile economic growth, food production, and ecosystem protection in land-constrained contexts. Our approach shows that protected ecosystems, productive landscapes, and the built areas can coexist through careful planning and context-specific solutions.
Financing remains a major constraint, particularly for long-term biodiversity recovery and ecosystem restoration. In Rwanda, the Biodiversity Fund Window under Rwanda Green Fund provides financing specifically tailored to biodiversity investments. Encouragingly, emerging approaches such as nature-positive investment, biodiversity credits, and results-based financing are beginning to align financial flows with the long-term realities of ecosystem recovery. However, far greater scale and predictability are still needed.
The 2026 theme--acting locally for global impact--is therefore a call for alignment at every level.
For individuals, it means recognizing the value of biodiversity in everyday choices. In an increasingly urban world, it also means embracing the richness--and sometimes the messiness--of nature for the benefits it provides. When was the last time you saw a butterfly in your garden or neighbourhood? Restoring such small yet powerful signs of life into our landscapes requires more than perfectly manicured lawns. It requires planting native species, preserving trees and pollinator habitats, reducing excessive pesticide use, and creating spaces where nature can thrive alongside people. Biodiversity begins not only in protected areas, but also in the everyday environments we shape around our homes, schools, and cities.
For governments, it means setting clear biodiversity priorities and implementing them consistently. Biodiversity must be integrated into development planning, public investment, and economic decision-making. Trade-offs are often inevitable along the development journey, but strategies to minimize and manage those trade-offs are essential. Innovative financing can help bridge funding gaps while unlocking new sources of value from nature-positive growth. Achieving the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework--including the global commitment to protect and effectively conserve at least 30 percent of land and marine areas by 2030--will depend on coordinated action by governments, research institutions, civil society organizations, local communities, development partners, and the private sector. Global frameworks succeed when local actors are empowered to deliver them.
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For international partners; Rwanda is delivering on ambitious biodiversity plans with benefits that extend globally. What is needed now is partnership that matches this ambition: predictable, long-term financing and technical collaboration that can support the realization of biodiversity-related national priorities while strengthening local capacity and resilience.
As we mark International Day for Biological Diversity, Rwanda stands ready to contribute to global efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss as a partner offering tested solutions and practical experience. Our journey demonstrates that even in contexts of high population density and limited land availability, it is possible to restore ecosystems while advancing economic development and community well-being. The path forward is clear: integrate biodiversity into the core of policy, reinvest benefits into communities, and commit to sustained action.
When it comes to biodiversity, acting locally is not a symbolic gesture--it is a strategic path to global impact. The choices we make today will shape the future of biodiversity for generations to come. Rwanda remains committed to working with partners worldwide to ensure that this future is locally grounded, globally impactful, and defined by prosperity in harmony with nature.
The writer is the Minister of Environment.
