Located on the ridge between the Congo and Nile water catchment area, Northwestern Rwanda, Gishwati Mukura National Park is a home to diverse tourist attractions. The park was gazetted in 2015 increasing the number of parks in Rwanda to 4 and it sits on the altitudinal range of about 2000 to 3000m.
The three national parks that for long have been in Rwanda include Nyungwe Forest National Park, Akagera National Park and Volcanoes National Park. Gishwati-Mukura National Park still offers new experiences, refreshing environment and a perfect destination to experience authentic Africa. Gishwati Mukura N/Park is a compact protected area, and occupies the land area of 34sq.kms of land area. There are two rainforests that make up Gishwati Mukura National Park; Gishwati and Mukura Forest Reserves.
Gishwati Mukura National Park being a tropical forested park received on average rainfall amount of about 1200 to 1500mm. It is lying in Rutsiro and Ngororero Districts of Rwanda. Adjacent to the park, there is Karongi and Rubavu towns.
Gishwati and Mukura Forest Reserves are the 2 (two) blocks of tropical rain-forests that make up the compact Gishwati-Mukura National Park. The two forest reserves are located in the Northwestern Rwanda, just close to Lake Kivu.
Gishwati Forest
In 1978, Gishwati and Mukura Forest were intact forests till 1986 when the refugees began to clear it to create land for subsistence farming. In 2001, a small patch of it was left, making up about 6.1sq.kms. This also resulted into the loss of biodiversity and the area began to experience landslides, degradation, soil erosion. Efforts to restore the forest commenced a few years back increasing its size to 10sq.kms. On the Northern and Central parts of Gishwati Forest, there are tea estates.
Biodiversity in Gishwati Forest
Gishwati Forest experienced 99.7% decline in its faunal species and its flora wasn’t spared. The wild fruits also decreased by 93.3% while 99.6% of its wild vegetation was lost and there was also a decline of 79.9% of the forest’s wild medicines.
A record of about 58 tree species, shrubs exist at Gishwati Forest and these comprise of bamboo and hardwood. 4 primate species are supported in Gishwati Forest Reserve and they include Pan troglodytes/chimpanzees, blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys and golden monkeys. The black and white colobus monkeys were also spotted at the forest reserve. About 84 bird species live here and they include the mountain yellow warblers, white headed wood hoopoe, plus many reptiles, amphibians and many others.
Mukura Forest Reserve
Lying in the Northwestern Rwanda, Mukura Forest Reserve is a natural forest that together Gishwati Forest makes up the 34sq.kms Gishwati-Mukura National Park. This natural forest reserve occupied up to 300sq.kms, but its land area reduced to almost half due to deforestation.
In 1951, Mukura Forest was declared as a reserve and in 2015-16, it became a National Park making up Gishwati-Mukura National Park. Its creation makes Rwanda now a destination with 4 National Parks and it hosts diverse plant life, reptiles, birds, and primates.
Today, the Gishwati-Mukura landscape is officially a declared UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It joins the numerous reserves to be recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as the World Network of Biosphere Reserve. In Rwanda, the other designated biosphere reserve is Volcanoes Biosphere Reserve also located in the Northwestern part of the country.