Special Issue Journal of Sustainability Science and Studies

Special Issue 1, December 2009

Article Number: 03

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The environmental causes and effects of human activities in Africa: A case study of deforestation in Rwanda

M. Jean de la Paix, J. Ge, T. Kabera, and G. Habiyaremye

Pages 15-18

Abstract—This study completed in Rwanda was done to explain the environmental causes and effects of deforestation. The result – showed the use of wood fuel in many tea factories, restaurants, secondary schools, refugees camps, rural habitants in the preparation of their food and the competition for land for agriculture to support the population – has led to many forests being cleared to make way for fields; and a total of 1,682 hectares of forest have been destroying every year in Rwanda from 2006 to 2008. Its impacts touch the country and the whole region by loss of precipitation; others immediate and long term effects of Rwanda deforestation are almost sure to threaten life in the country including the loss of biodiversity and playing a role on climate perturbation. Deforestation has led to soil erosion and floods which have already destroyed a thousand hectares of plantations located along mountainsides and valleys, and were a source of water pollution. It was revealed that the soil of Rwanda was degraded and washed away by water flow. Finally we suggested the solutions to the possible tragedy in order to protect the environment and approach a sustainable solution.

Keywords—deforestation, soil erosion, climate change, wood fuel, Rwanda.