By Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya*
Rwanda’s vision for 2050 is to be a carbon-neutral and climate-resilient economy. Our Climate Action Plan aims to reduce emissions by 38% by 2030 compared to business as usual. That is why Rwanda has put the environment at the heart of its development agenda for more than two decades.
As 2023 comes to a close, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to strengthen climate resilience and promote conservation.
Below are highlights of how Rwanda moved further towards a green and climate resilient nation in 2024.
Rwanda launched e-Title
Rwanda launched a new electronic certificate system for land registration known as e-Title.
Rwanda launched a new electronic certificate system for land registration known as e-Title. The system will improve service delivery, address the issue of land titles getting lost or damaged, and help realise the goal of “zero trips, zero paper” for land transactions.
With the new e-Title system, land titles will be provided immediately following approval by the Land Registrar. The land owner will receive a notification with a link to download and save a digital copy of their land title.
The new system will eliminate the issuance of physical land title deeds and enable other sectors to rely on digital land certificates to serve citizens in different capabilities.
Intego, Rwanda’s NDC Facility
Rwanda launched Intego – Rwanda’s NDC Facility. The €46 million facility will be managed by Rwanda Green Fund to support public sector climate action.
Intego will provide financial and technical support to climate change adaptation and mitigation projects. Funding priorities range from green growth, climate action and environmental protection. Intego marks another key milestone for Rwanda and is a clear reflection of the country’s commitment to put people and the environment at the forefront of sustainable development.
The Revised Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy.
Rwanda launched the Revised Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy. It has been updated to align with Vision 2050 and will serve as Rwanda’s long-term strategy for low-emissions development.
The revised Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy aims to guide national policy and planning in an integrated way, mainstream climate change into all sectors of the economy, and position Rwanda to access international climate funding and investment. Areas of significant revision include Rwanda’s development pathway, thematic programme areas, enabling pillars, and implementation roadmap.
IMF Resilience and Sustainability Facility
Rwanda became the first African country to access funds under the new Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST) facility, an International Monetary Fund program aimed at helping low-income and vulnerable middle-income countries build resilience to external shocks and ensure sustainable growth, contributing to their longer-term balance of payments stability.
The move was announced at the conclusion of the IMF mission to Rwanda where the IMF team discussed with senior government officials the support under the Resilience and Sustainability (RST) facility and an accompanying new 3-year Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI). The agreement will see Rwandan access up to US$ 310 million highly concessional financing to advance efforts in building resilience against climate change.
Executive Director of Green Climate Fund visited Rwanda
Rwanda received Mafalda Duarte, the Executive Director of Green Climate Fund and witnessed the remarkable impact of the Green Gicumbi Project during her working visit to Rwanda.
In 2019, the Ministry of Environment as Rwanda’s Accredited Entity to Green Climate Fund mobilised more than $32M to strengthen the climate resilience of communities in Gicumbi District through the 6-year Green Gicumbi project.
International Conference on Conservation Biology
Rwanda hosted the 2023 International Conference on Conservation Biology from 23-27 July 2023. The event brought together a diverse community of conservation professionals, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and students from around the world. The conference created a unique opportunity for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in conservation biology.
More than 1,000 people from 93 countries were in Rwanda to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and explore innovative solutions to address pressing conservation issues. The theme for ICCB 2023 was “The Future is Now: Sustaining Biodiversity for Today and Tomorrow.” This theme emphasises the importance of translating scientific knowledge into tangible conservation actions that yield positive and measurable impacts.
Nyungwe National Park inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List
Nyungwe National Park, situated in Rwanda’s Southern and Western Province, was officially designated as a natural World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee. It is the first site in Rwanda to be featured on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The inscription of Nyungwe National Park serves as a vital step in ensuring its long-term conservation, preserving its natural heritage for future generations, and promoting sustainable development for neighbouring communities.
Established as a natural reserve in 1933, the forest became a national park in 2005 in a bid by the Government to bolster its protection and safeguard the thousands of endangered and endemic species it harbours.
Covering an expanse of 101,900 hectares, Nyungwe National Park stands as the largest block of natural forest in the region. Boasting remarkable biodiversity, it is home to over a dozen species of primates, 322 bird species, 200 identified orchids, and nearly 300 butterfly species, including several endemic to the park.
Inganji I drone
The Ministry of Environment and UNDP launched a drone named “Inganji I”. It was handed over to the Rwanda Investigation Bureau for collecting information, conducting inspections for preventing and supporting investigations of environmental crimes. The Inganji drone will help to respond to and control activities that damage our environment including land degradation, Water pollution and illegal logging in protected areas.
Approvals of new projects and increased financing in implementation of Rwanda’s Climate Agenda.
The Green Climate Fund, a global fund set up to realise the goals of the Paris Agreement, has approved two major investments that will build the climate resilience of vulnerable communities in Rwanda’s Congo Nile Divide through forest and landscape restoration and spur private sector green growth through Ireme Invest – Rwanda’s green investment facility.
The decision to approve the two projects was taken at the most recent Green Climate Fund board meeting, which was held from 23-25 October 2023 in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The project to build the climate resilience of vulnerable communities in Rwanda’s Congo Nile Divide through forest and landscape restoration is worth USD 39.1 million or Frw 48.4 billion and will be implemented in Karongi, Musanze, Ngororero, Nyabihu, Nyamagabe, Nyamasheke, Nyaruguru, Rubavu, Rusizi, Rutsiro district. The project will develop more sustainable management of 278,000 hectares and promote sustainable agroforestry techniques in 2,000 hectares of plantations, reducing demand for fuelwood and alleviating deforestation pressures.
The second project approved – an additional contribution to Ireme Invest of USD 42.8 million or Frw 53 billion facilitated through the African Development Bank – will enable Rwanda’s private sector to access credit at a lower interest rate than the market standard to invest in renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, water-efficient systems, green buildings, and clean transportation. The additional funding will ensure Ireme Invest can work with Rwanda’s private sector to support green business growth and boost the country’s response to climate change.
In October, the World Bank approved $62m for the Volcanoes Community Resilience Project. The project will reduce the risk of flooding, strengthen watershed management, and improve livelihoods of people in Volcanoes Region and Vunga Corridor areas in the North- Western parts of Rwanda.
COP28
Rwanda launched its National Carbon Market Framework in a significant stride towards a greener and more sustainable future. The framework was launched on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, UAE.
Rwanda has a bold vision to be climate resilient and carbon neutral by 2050. To achieve this ambitious goal, the Government of Rwanda has taken a groundbreaking step to establish a carbon market framework.
This first ever carbon market framework blueprint underscores Rwanda’s commitment to combating climate change and fostering a sustainable future.
At COP28,Bank of Kigali and Rwanda Development Bank signed agreements aimed at unlocking climate finance in the private sector. This is another significant milestone for climate action.
Forest Planting Season 2023/2024
Each year Rwanda organises the Forest Planting Season. This year, 63 million trees will be planted across the country through a campaign launched on 28th October 2023 at the Site of Kagomasi located in Gashora sector, Bugesera District through Umuganda. The tree seedlings will include native and exotic species to restore degraded forests, agricultural landscapes (agroforestry), water bodies, roadsides, and biodiversity restoration. (End).
* Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya is a Rwandan politician, currently the Minister of Environment.