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Rwanda, in cooperation with the African Development Bank (AfDB), inaugurated a 30-million-U.S.-dollar initiative in the Rwandan capital of Kigali on Tuesday in order to conserve and expand forest cover across the country.

The five-year project will focus on the southern and northern regions of Rwanda, according to the Ministry of Environment.

The funds will be allocated toward soil erosion control, agroforestry, support for tree species diversification in agroforestry systems, and dissemination of technology to targeted farmer households to reduce pressure on planted trees, among other interventions.

According to the ministry, Southern Province, characterized by severely degraded landscapes and high susceptibility to climate change impacts, is one of the primary targets of this initiative.

Currently, forests cover 30.4 percent of Rwanda, equivalent to 724,695 hectares, as per the latest data from the ministry.