Green Growth and Climate Resilience ? National Strategy on Climate Change and Low Carbon Development
The Strategy seeks to meet development goals while reducing the country’s vulnerability through mitigation and adaptation. The key mitigation strategies are: promoting geothermal power generation, with an estimated potential of 700 MW, enough to meet all of Rwanda’s demand if implemented by 2020; integrated soil fertility management, which would cut use of inorganic fertilisers, improve soil structure and the water retention capacity of soil; and high density walkable cities, fighting anticipated trends of energy-intensive urban sprawl on hilly terrain.
Key adaptation elements are irrigation infrastructure, which will reduce uncertainty regarding rainfall variation; a robust road network to mitigate loss of food during transportation to markets and to ensure access during extreme weather events; the establishment of a centre for climate knowledge for development; and development of agroforestry.
The strategy calls for existing programmes to be used to make quick advances – the Integrated Development Programme (IDP) to facilitate implementation of climate-resilient low-carbon development in rural areas; the National Fund for Climate and Environment (FONERWA) to facilitate access to international climate finance, especially Fast Start Finance for adaptation; implementing measuring and reporting of cross-sectoral energy use for planning and international reporting purposes; setting up an online Climate Portal to communicate the National Strategy to the public and the international community.
Nine working papers have been produced: Cities and the Built Environment Sector; Water Sector; Agriculture Sector; Energy Sector; Finance Sector; Forests and Tree-based Systems Sector; Land Sector; Mining Sector; Transportation Sector.
