Second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) for 2013-2018

EDPRS II aims to implement Rwanda's Vision 2020, ensuring that the country achieves middle-income status by 2020 by accelerating economic growth to (11.5% average), reducing poverty to below 30%, and restructuring the economy towards services and industry. Its main targets relate to: strategic infrastructure investment for exports; more private sector financing to increase exports; urbanisation; and a green economy approach to sustainability. Five priority areas will spearhead this thematic strategy.

Priority 1 is to increase the domestic interconnectivity of the economy by investing in infrastructure to meet private sector energy demand; increasing access to public goods and resources in priority sectors; and deepening the integration of key value chains.

Priority 5 is the pursuit of a ‘green economy' approach to economic transformation, favouring the development of sustainable cities and villages. Key innovations include: piloting a green city; piloting a model mine; and attracting investors in green construction. There will be a focus on green urbanisation and promoting green innovation in industry and the private sector. A Green Urbanisation Centre of Excellence and an Environment and Climate Change Innovation Centre will be created. The Environment and Climate Change Centre will promote transformational green innovation in the industrial and private sectors through (i) support to research and development through links to industry and academia in Rwanda and internationally; (ii) promoting technology transfer in priority sectors through business advice and training; (iii) linking innovation with finance through identifying international funding sources (e.g. FONERWA); (iv) providing analyses and information on market and sector trends.

Environment and climate change are considered ‘cross cutting issues'. They involve (i) mainstreaming environmental sustainability into productive and social sectors; (ii) reducing vulnerability to climate change and (iii) preventing and controlling pollution. Key sectors include agriculture, energy, environment and natural resources, infrastructure, health, private sector and financial sector.

EDPRS II supports the previous target of increasing forest cover to 23.5% by 2012 and reset a new indicator to reach 30% by 2018. In addition, it recommends for sustainable management of forest biodiversity and critical ecosystems through protection and maintenance of 10.25% of the land area, and reduction of wood energy consumption from 86.3 % to 50% by 2020 as reflected in the 2020 Vision targets.