Rugezi-Burera-Ruhondo

The Rugezi marsh is located in a flooded valley near Rwanda’s northern border with Uganda at an altitude of 2,050 metres. The marsh feeds the Burera (or Bulera) and Ruhondo lakes. The Ramsar Site is a unique and important ecosystem which covers part of an Important Bird Area. It hosts endangered species including Grauer’s swamp warbler (Bradypterus graueri) and the grey crowned crane (Balearica regulorum), and threatened birds including the papyrus yellow warbler (Calamonastides gracilirostris). The conservation of the Site’s ecosystems is also essential for the promotion of tourism. The marsh is an important headwater of the Kagera and Nile river systems and so its good functioning has wider hydrological consequences. It is very significant to the national economy as it enables downstream hydro-electric power generation. The wetland and the services which it provides were threatened by agricultural activities which were causing water levels to fall, until drainage was halted and management measures implemented. The successful restoration of the wetland has gained international recognition including a Green Globe Award in 2010.

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