Rwanda

The 7 year strategy, adopted in 2017, sets out the Government of Rwanda's plans for achieving its 2020 and 2050 Vision's for economic development. Climate Change is highlighted as a priority cross-cutting area in the strategy. The strategy is aimed at informing sectoral and district level strategies, that will enable Rwanda to achieve its development goals. The strategy focuses on strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation as a mechanism to address climate change, with a focus on agriculture, urbanisation, infrastructure and land use management. The strategy also identifies the fact that Rwanda's oil and gas reserves have yet to be fully exploited as an opportunity.

This National Disaster Risk Management Plan is the guiding document for addressing disaster risk management in Rwanda. The document pursues the mission and goals of disaster management laid down by the National Disaster Management Policy 2012. The plan is to be used by all government and non-government sectors as the basis for developing their own sub-plans, systems and arrangements (health, transport, agriculture, and public works).&nbsp; Main goals are 1) to strengthen the institutional capacity of MIDIMAR and its stakeholders to effectively implement disaster management programmes, 2) to create a programming framework incorporating Government, Agencies and Departments, Non-Governmental Organizations and the private sector in Rwanda, 3) mitigation of the impact of disasters on livelihoods, property, the environment and economic activity, 4) to perform research that will support an implementation of the plan and upgrading the scope of the plan to respond to the changing risk environment.&nbsp;

This strategy covers a five year period (2013 - 2018) and it was developed to implement the second phase of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy with the aim of achieving the revised targets of Vision 2020. The Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Sector and District strategies will contribute to the achievement of the four thematic areas and will mainstream key cross-cutting issues which the EDPRS II identified as Environment and Climate change, Gender and Family promotion, HIV/AIDS, Capacity building, Regional integration, Social inclusion and disability and Disaster management. 
 
The Objective of this strategy is to ensure that environment and natural resources are utilised and managed productively in support of equitable and sustained national development and poverty reduction. This will be realized in 5 specific objectives : (1) To increase and sustainably manage ecosystems and forest resources to optimize their economic as well as ecological functions; (2) To put in place and operationalise an efficient system of land administration and land management that secure land ownership, promote investment in land for socio-economic development and poverty reduction; (3) To ensure that development in Rwanda is undertaken in a manner that inflicts minimal damage to the environment, and building resilience to threats posed by climate change for the sustained support to economic, social and cultural development of Rwanda. (4) To secure and provide water of adequate quantity and quality for all social and economic needs of the present and future generations with the full participation of all stakeholders in decisions affecting its management; (5) To improve the Geology and Mines sub-sector to contribute optimally and sustainably to the national income and to the social economic welfare of the community. 
Environment and Climate Change will contribute to the achievement of EDPRS II through the following innovations: ecosystem rehabilitation based on job creation and income generation for rural poverty reduction and social protection; integrating innovative approaches and knowledge on technology transfer on irrigation, renewable energy and agro-forestry; developing and implementing an incentive structure to award performance in environmental management; and operationalize FONERWA fund. 
 
The Five Year Strategic Plan for the Environment and Natural Resources Sector establishes targets of forestry to increase forest cover, with districts measuring their success against new forest planted, targeting a minimum of 83 trees per household in rural area and 5 trees in urban areas, with a survival rate of 90%. It also targets the number of climate change adaptation and mitigation projects to be developed and implemented between 2013 and 2018. 
Environment and Climate Change priorities will be implemented by Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) whereas Land, Forestry, Water resources and Mining will be executed under the mandate of the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA).

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.

&nbsp;This policy establishes the guiding principles for disaster risk management (DRM) in Rwanda by presenting the institutional structures, roles, responsibilities, authorities and key processes to increase the resilience of vulnerable groups to disasters. This documents amends and replaces the 2009 National Disaster Management Policy.The natural hazards in Rwanda identified by the policy are floods, landslides and mudflows, volcanic activity, drought, food security, earthquakes, fires, and epidemics. &nbsp;The main objectives are 1) to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for the management of disasters, 2) the promotion of disaster awareness, 3) to ensure that institutions and DRM activities are coordinated and are focused to foster partnerships between the government and other stakeholders at all levels (international, regional, sub-regional Eastern African, national and sub-national bodies).

This Law determines modalities for protecting, conserving and promoting the environment against climate change. The law establishes 1) the conservation and the protection of the natural environment (soil, water resources, biodiversity, atmosphere, etc), 2) obligations to the state, decentralised entities and local communities with regard to the protection and promotion of environment, 3) the inspection and criminal investigation power in environmental matters.

Law no 63/2013 determines the mission, organisation and functioning of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA). The Authority shall have legal personality, administrative and financial autonomy and shall be governed in accordance with laws governing public institutions. This Law repeals Law n0 16/2006 of 03-Apr-06 which determined the organization, functioning and responsibilities of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority. 
 
 
 
 
Art 3.4 of the present law missions REMA to put in place measures designed to prevent climate change and cope with its impacts.

This Law determines the organisation, functioning and mission of the National Fund for Environment in Rwanda (FONERWA). The fund will be the primary instrument to channel, distribute and monitor international and national climate finance. 
 
FONERWA has four finance windows: conservation and sustainable management of natural resources; R&D and technology transfer; streamlining of climate change issues into policies and programmes; and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) monitoring & enforcement.

This Ministerial Order regulates activities that give rise to chemical pollutants. Annex A specifies emission standards for CO2, along with other pollutants (such as NOx, SOx, PM10, Lead and Ozone). 
It prohibits open burning of any substance, except for fires used for recreational purposes and ceremonial; fires purposely set for agricultural control of disease and pests; and open air, kitchen fires for cooking meals.

This law gives effect to The National Policy on Environment, which sets out how to protect, conserve and promote the environment. It defines the responsibilities of citizen and state and defines principles for using natural resources, such as air and water, protecting biodiversity etc. It orders an environmental impact assessment. 
 
Article 27 states that 'the use of substances that pollute the atmosphere…, that deplete the ozone layer or that may cause climatic changes is governed by an order of the Minister having environment in his or her attributions.' 
 
The National Policy includes suggested policy statements on several areas, which can be used as an entry point for more elaborated policies. The Policy Statement on Atmosphere, Climate and Disasters declares two objectives: to help establish a framework for early warning and management of natural and/or human-made disasters; and to help establish a policy and legislation to monitor regularly climatic change and reduce to a strict minimum substances that pollute the atmosphere. 
 
The law provides for the establishment of a National Fund for Environment (FONERWA).

Enhancing climate change resilience for communities in Rwanda’s Southern Province through sustainable livelihoods, integrated land management and improved access to finance

In East Africa, climate models predict a continual rise in average temperatures and an increase in the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events. This places significant pressure on the region's farmers, as they will grapple with worsening conditions for crop production and livestock keeping. However, progress in developing more sustainable agricultural processes has been slow, as farmers in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda lack access to the necessary funding for Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) investments. There is an urgent need for private sector CCA finance to spearhead long-term, market-driven change.  

The ARCAFIM programme strives to introduce a practical and widely applicable financing model to mobilise private sector investments for rural CCA initiatives in East African micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and smallholders involved in the food systems. These MSMEs and smallholders have the potential to drive sustainable, long-term changes in response to market needs. The programme supports climate adaptation for smallholders and MSME by crowding in international and local financing, including from regional commercial banks and local financial institutions. The programme model can serve as proof-of-concept to be replicated in other regions, offering potential to make a significant impact on private sector financing for rural CCA projects on a broader scale. 




Rwanda is considered highly vulnerable to climate change in both mitigation and adaption aspects. Faced with multiple climate hazards including more intense rainfall, shifting seasonal temperatures, droughts, and landslides, Rwanda has set ambitious climate and development goals to achieve a low-carbon emission, climate resilient economy. The long-term financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has left the country with limited financial resources allocated to vital climate mitigation and adaptation projects inside its borders, which threatens progress on Sustainable Development Goals.  

The RGIF project aims to strengthen Rwanda’s ownership of climate finance and address the market barriers that impede private sector investment from flowing to climate action. RGIF will create two financing facilities to support reduction of the risks associated with private sector projects in climate change mitigation and adaptation. One facility will offer grants and reimbursable grants to enhance the feasibility of climate projects, while the other facility will provide loans directly to green projects. Both facilities will focus on sectors prioritised by Rwanda including renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, water-efficient systems, green buildings, and clean transportation.


The Congo-Nile Divide in Rwanda is a biologically rich region with high elevations and natural forests that are crucial to both local wildlife and communities. This area plays a vital role in the broader region’s biodiversity, ecosystem health and water regulation. The Congo-Nile Divide also contributes to key sectors in Rwanda’s economy through eco-tourism and agriculture. However, higher population density, intensive farming, and deforestation now threaten the natural balance of the biosphere. This is leading to less fertile soil and rise of landslide occurrences.  

The Congo Nile Divide project’s overarching goal is to improve the climate resilience of vulnerable communities. This will be achieved by expanding and preserving natural forests while strengthening the authorities’ and local people’s capacity for sustainable and climate responsive forest and landscape management.  The project will develop more sustainable management of a total of 250,000 hectares of land in the area. Additionally, it will promote sustainable agroforestry techniques in 2,000 hectares of plantations, reducing local demand for fuelwood and thereby alleviating deforestation pressures. The project will also be instrumental in safeguarding one of Africa’s most biodiverse ecosystems, the Albertine Rift, home to half of Africa’s bird species and 40 per cent of its mammals.  

Grants from the GCF Project Preparation Facility (PPF) supported the Accredited Entity in the development of this project's funding proposal. 


The African continent collectively contributes only about 3% of the yearly global human-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the region is projected to experience more severe impacts from human-induced climate change than almost anywhere else on the planet. Sub-Saharan countries face temperature increases above that of the global average potentially impacting health, agriculture, food security, economic development and human welfare in a region that is already challenged on most of these issues. Solving the problem of climate change will require substantial investments in Africa’s infrastructure, manufacturing capacity and economy to bolster overall adaptation and mitigation levels on the continent.  

The KawiSafi II project will create a USD 200 million venture equity fund aimed at closing the investment gap in three key areas where sub-Saharan countries struggle to find investors:  energy transition, productivity, and mobility & logistics. Standing on the shoulders of the first KawiSafi project, the fund will invest in local enterprises developing scalable climate action projects to the benefit of climate-endangered African communities. Beyond funding, KawiSafi II will establish a USD 10 million technical assistance facility to enable these entities to maximise their climate impact while ensuring the implementation of robust management systems to address any potential environmental, social and governance risks that may arise.


Technical analysis of the first biennial update report of Rwanda submitted on 29 December 2021. Summary report by the team of technical experts, Technical Analysis Summary Report from Rwanda in 2023

Rwanda. Biennial update report (BUR). BUR 1. National inventory report., National Inventory Report from Rwanda in 2022

Rwanda. Biennial update report (BUR). BUR 1., Biennial Update Report from Rwanda in 2021

Rwanda's Adaptation communication, Adaptation Communication from Rwanda in 2021

Rwanda First NDC (Updated submission), Nationally Determined Contribution from Rwanda in 2020

30% forest cover of national land area by 2020

Rwanda

Documents

Targets (1)

Legislative Process