The Government has allocated over 8% of its 2025/26 fiscal year budget to environmental protection and combating climate change , according to Fred Sabiti, National Technical Advisor on Environment and Climate Change Mainstreaming at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN). ALSO READ: Rwanda Faces $7 Billion Funding Gap to Implement Climate Action Plan The cabinet recently approved the government’s planned expenditure of over Rwf7 trillion for the 2025/26 fiscal year, which commenced on July 1. Sabiti revealed the allocated share of the climate change fight to the national budget during a workshop on promoting climate finance and environmental stewardship held at the parliamentary precinct on July 31. The workshop aimed to empower Members of Parliament by enhancing their knowledge and leadership in climate action and environmental stewardship, and by providing key information on climate finance and investment opportunities available in the country. “The budget allocated to environmental protection and fighting climate change was 0.4% before 2009. This increased to 2.5% in 2013, 4.9% in 2021, and 8% in 2025. This amounts to over Rwf600 billion in this year’s budget,” Sabiti explained. ALSO READ: 10 ways Rwanda is spending on climate adaptation in new budget He said the budget was increased to help the country continue to cope with flooding, and to build climate-resilient agriculture and infrastructure, among other priorities. “The government needs a substantial budget to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure,” he noted. In 2024/25, the Ministry of Environment alone secured Rwf154.4 billion in the fiscal budget. According to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), 43 percent of the Ministry of Environment's budget was allocated to climate change adaptation efforts during the previous year. Adaptation encompasses a wide range of measures aimed at reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Mitigation-related interventions received 20 percent, while the remaining 37 percent was directed towards interventions that fall under both categories. Overall, budget allocations for climate change-related interventions are expected to increase in nominal terms over the medium term, rising from Rwf579.8 billion in 2024/25 to Rwf631.2 billion in 2025/26, and Rwf667.4 billion in 2026/27. According to Sabiti, Rwanda continues to secure international financing. “Last year Rwanda secured $319 million to combat climate change,” he noted. Rwanda is facing a financing gap of Rwf6.5 billion to implement a 10-year climate action plan up to 2030. The country's climate action plan comprises 557 specific projects. Agriculture takes 55 % of total funding in order to be able to adapt to climate change.
