Rwanda expects to have mobilised $24 million to develop climate-resilient crops by 2030, The New Times has learnt.
The investment is needed at a time when the region is hit by unusual dry spells, floods, pests, and diseases that continue to ravage crops. Rwanda is among the world’s most vulnerable countries ranking 124th on the Climate Vulnerability Index.
Also, the Future Climate Outlook predicts more extreme climate change impacts including longer draughts, erratic rains, and severe storms by 2050.
According to the government’s 10-year Climate Action plan, the money to be mobilized from both domestic and external sources will help in having a number of climate-resilient crop varieties developed, a percentage of farmers adopting resilient crops and varieties as well as having a certain percentage of crossbreed livestock at national herd species. This was noted on Thursday, January 12, during the launch of the Comprehensive Africa Climate Change Initiative (CACCI) in Rwanda.
The comprehensive Africa Climate Change Initiative by the African Union Commission (AUC) aims to implement a resolution to support African Union (AU) member states to comply with their obligations under the Paris Agreement.
It seeks to build the capacity in implementing climate plans to ensure resilience to climate change effects and protect farmers from the negative effects of climate change.
Faustin Munyazikwiye, the Deputy Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), said that the initiative will support Rwanda in meeting its commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Developing climate-resilient crops is one of Rwanda’s commitments known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which Rwanda submitted in 2020 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
"The commitments will reduce 38 per cent of our emissions by 2030. Capacity is needed but also financial support is needed. Designing climate projects need data and information to inform donors and this requires capacity building. It also requires capacity building to assess the delivery of such projects,” he said.
He said that in order to be able to achieve the targets by 2030, the country will need $11 billion.
The targets, he noted, need to be implemented to achieve Rwanda’s envisioned low-carbon development and climate resilience outcome.
"In order to participate effectively in the implementation of the commitments from various sectors be it the agriculture sector, energy sector, and others it is paramount to track progress and reporting. It requires capacity building in gathering data to justify and report the progress and be the basis of decision-making of this country,” he said.
Target vulnerable communities
According to environmentalists, communities that are most vulnerable to climate change should be considered.
Faustin Vuningoma, the coordinator for Coordinator Rwanda Climate Change and Development Network (RCCDN) said that any interventions under Comprehensive Africa Climate Change Initiative (CACCI) should build the capacity of institutions that will build the resilience of the most vulnerable sectors noting that researchers, academia, and civil society should work together to identify gaps that need to fill in combating climate change.
"We want that research outcomes to benefit the communities, especially farmers in terms of climate resilience. Farmers are facing prolonged dry spells and when it rains the crops that survive are also washed away by floods.
Farmers need crop varieties that can cope with drought, diseases, pests, and floods. We need affordable and sustainable irrigation. This needs research to be able to get solutions to problems communities are facing,” he said.
Prof-Beth Kaplin, the Director of the Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management at the University of Rwanda, reiterated that capacity building is needed in building adaptation to climate change.
"The initiative has to do with ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions. We need indicators and data,” she said.
She said that researchers need to contribute to monitoring and capacity building for different interventions and projects.
"They have to monitor ecosystems and how they are adapting to climate change and are effective,” adding that there is a need for capacity building in designing green bankable projects responding to climate change.