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Exploring the Perception of Inhabitants about Quality of Wetlands as a Potential for Public Green Spaces

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This paper aims to explore the opinions of inhabitants of Kigali city about the quality of the wetlands as a potential public green space. Despite the Ramsar treaty, wetlands in many countries still face challenges regarding function, character, and quality. Kigali as the capital of Rwanda located in a tropical climate, includes wetlands that pass through the whole city. However, the quality of the wetlands has resulted in the segregation of the wetlands from the urban context. The Likert questionnaire was designed to evaluate the perceptions, concerns, and expectations of the inhabitants about wetlands. The findings highlight that the inhabitants face problems with accessibility, using the spaces for attendance, and safety in the wetlands. Although the respondents mentioned the wetlands are clean, safe, and beautiful, they are concerned about the safety, paths, paving, and landscape design of the wetlands. The respondents prefer to have fruit trees in the wetlands more than decorative and flowering trees, shrubs, or vegetation. In conclusion, they expect the wetlands as a daily activity location for sitting and chatting with family members rather than a location for recreational activities, including cultural centers, such as art galleries and museums.

Source: International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics

DOI: 10.26650/ijegeo.1653920

Author: Rahman Tafahomi

Institutions: University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology - University of Rwanda

Language: English

Topic: Urban Green Space and Health

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4414527555

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