Construction of a Rwf72 billion ($49 million) Smart Green Village has begun in Kinigi Sector, Musanze District, as Rwanda prepares to relocate families affected by the planned expansion of Volcanoes National Park.
The project’s groundbreaking is part of preparations for the 21st Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony scheduled for September 4, 2026, in Kinigi. The Smart Green Village is being developed under the wider Volcanoes Community Resilience Project.
The first phase will provide housing for families living in areas designated for the park expansion. Information from conservation partners puts the initial relocation at about 500 households, while the broader programme is expected to benefit thousands of people living around the park.
The village is designed to go beyond resettlement by providing climate-resilient housing, basic services and infrastructure, as well as opportunities for families to rebuild and improve their livelihoods.
The model includes access to clean water, sustainable electricity, sanitation facilities and community services. Plans also include facilities such as a health centre, early childhood development centre, market, multipurpose community space and ICT facilities.
Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Chief Executive Officer Jean Guy Africa said the initiative reflects Rwanda’s approach of linking conservation with community development.
“Smart Green Village demonstrates our shared vision that environmental conservation and community development must go hand in hand,” Africa said.
The broader conservation programme is expected to expand Volcanoes National Park by about 3,740 hectares, while establishing buffer zones to improve land-use management and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The wider Volcanoes Community Resilience Project is valued at more than $300 million and combines conservation with climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, flood-risk reduction and livelihood development.
Rwanda has also used tourism revenue-sharing to support communities around national parks. RDB says more than Rwf23 billion has been invested in nearly 1,300 community projects over the past two decades, including projects in education, healthcare, water and livelihoods.
Musanze District Mayor Claudien Nsengimana said the Smart Green Village will help ensure that families affected by the park expansion have access to properly planned housing and essential services.
The project is intended to make conservation and community development complementary objectives, while creating better living conditions for households and supporting the long-term expansion and protection of Volcanoes National Park.
