Key species

Outside of protected areas biodiversity is highly threatened due to high human populations and the associated pressures on natural resources. Within the protected areas, including national parks and forests, biodiversity is well-protected, and represents a diverse set of ecosystems. Rwanda is home to the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), a population shared with the DRC and Uganda that has shown exhibited a significant increase in population size.

Pressures and threats

The threats to biodiversity in Rwanda include: poaching and other illegal activities; fires; alien invasive species; deforestation; mining; illegal grazing; damming; dropping water levels; unsustainable fishing; lack of connectivity; unsustainable tourism use and infrastructure development; wetlands encroachment; and pollution. Rwanda has a very high human population density, which puts increasing pressure on available natural resources.