Forests in Rwanda cover 30% of land use. This is composed of 11.9 % (translated into 283 128 ha) of natural forests and 18.1 % (translated into 714 102 ha) of planted public and private forests. 

According to 2015 National Forest Inventory report, around 68% of non-protected tree plantation of Rwanda are owned by privates and many are poorly managed and over exploited (stem cut every 2-3 years in average) with a very low standing stock (17 m3/ha vs a standard of around 60-80 m3/ha as stipulated in the National Forest Inventory of 2015) and a productivity 2-3 times less than the ideal average standard of 12m3/ha/year. 

The lack of organisation of these forest growers working each individually on their very small size parcel has been limiting their performance and their joint knowledge and investment sharing opportunities.
In consequence, these private forests were only producing around 0,8 Million of m3/year, while they should provide at least 2M m3 per year. This is why the support of these private forest owners is an essential pillar for the development of the forestry sector and sustain landscape restoration and watershed management.

880 Ha of degraded private woodlots have been rehabilitated through the Private Forest Management Units (PFMUs) approach, and handed over to their owners - grouped in 18 cooperatives for sustainable management - in the four districts of intervention: Rwamagana in Eastern Province, Gakenke, Rulindo and Gicumbi in Northern Province. 

The project has been jointly implemented by Enabel and the Ministry of Environment through Rwanda Forestry Authority, to implement the Rwanda National Forestry Policy, 2018-2023.