Timber iQ August - September 2019 // Issue:45 | Page 44

TALKING TIMBER
Opportunities in timber
value chain in Rwanda
and East Africa
In Rwanda, the sourcing of materials for structures, furniture, fuel
and the need for arable land are all interlinked, reflecting a complex
relationship between the holistic economic value of agricultural and
other market pressures.
By MASS Design Group
‘O
ne Health’ is a United Nations approach to
integrating policy and design to improve
health outcomes, emphasising that
human, animal and ecological health are
inextricably intertwined. MASS Design
Group, a non-profit design collective based in Rwanda, has
made One Health an integral component to our design and
engineering processes, decision making and impact
metrics. We search for partners, manufacturers and
A diversified timber industry can contribute to a more
sustainable construction industry in Rwanda.
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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019 //
methods that can invest in and help reinforce emerging
markets supporting this approach. One of these emerging
markets is the timber market.
Despite distinct achievements (forest policy development,
law enforcement, afforestation and land registration) the
forestry sector in Rwanda has not experienced the same
rapid development and growth as other areas of the economy
in the last decade.1 One notable example of a large long-
term concession given to a private investor by the state is the
buffer zone of Nyungwe National Park, now a certified
forestry operation. Aside from this, two of the most
significant players in the forestry sector are small-scale
agroforestry programmes and small cooperative plantations
of eucalyptus trees, harvesting more than 80% of the
country’s firewood and charcoal. Biomass currently meets
83% of Rwanda’s energy needs and although some positive
steps have been made – such as the ban of fuelwood for brick
making1 – more than 90% of rural households still use
charcoal or wood for cooking. Dependency on wood fuel
limits the opportunity for timber export,1as well as its
application in construction.
MASS Design Group has investigated opportunities to
sustainably harvest timber from regional sources for several
current projects in Rwanda. These projects are designed in a
way that can be replicated by local communities and
encourage local jurisdictions to consider the impacts of the
built environment. Through our recent experiences in the
construction industry, we have observed three key issues in
the value chain:
1. Supply chain capacity. Harvesting and processing of wood
is largely carried out informally, either manually or in
small scale operations. The supply chain lacks
appropriate equipment, knowledge and regulations to
supply sustainably harvested wood that is dried, graded
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