The Ministry of Environment is set to ban the use and supply of charcoal in Kigali City as it steps up efforts to protect the environment by reducing the use of wood fuel.
The use of charcoal has been cited as the main driver of deforestation and indoor air pollution. And the move could help reduce Rwanda’s reliance on wood fuel from 80 per cent to 40 percent by 2024.
The decision was announced at a press conference in Kigali ahead of World Environmental Day due on June 5.
The Minister of Environment, Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, said that the government will work with different institutions to finance vulnerable families to access gas as an alternative to cooking.
“We have realised that many households in Kigali city consume a big percentage of charcoal which is a threat to forests across the country yet they can afford cooking gas,” she said, saying that cooking gas was more affordable than charcoal. Read more…
