Rwanda has received €56 million to kick off the implementation of priority projects that address the issues raising climate change as well as development. In the agreement signed with the KFW Development Bank of Germany, €30 million will be allocated to urban development project, Green City Kigali and €26 million for the implementation of the Rwandan National Determined Contributions (NCDs) through the NDC Facility at the Rwanda Green Fund. Under its NDCs to Paris Agreement, Rwanda has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 38 per cent by 2030 compared to a business-as-usual scenario on condition of international support and funding which complements domestic resources. The commitment is estimated at $11 billion investment cost and it revolves around matters such as water security, agriculture, land and forestry, settlements and health. Uzziel Ndagijimana, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said this partnership is aligned with Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation One (NST1). The main objective is to accelerate private sector-led economic growth and increased productivity focusing on the promotion of sustainable management of the environment and natural resources to transition Rwanda towards a Green Economy, he said. He further indicated that it will enhance the climate policy dialogue on jointly fighting climate change with the aim of achieving global climate neutrality by the middle of the century, initiate cooperation with the scientific community, the private sector and civil society to foster an inclusive and locally-led approach for climate action. Svenja Schulze, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, said that global cooperation is the only way to tackle the prevailing climate crisis. “Rwanda is a driving force in international cooperation on climate action. Together, we want to move forward into a carbon-neutral and sustainable future,” she said. There is a need to foster an inclusive and locally-led approach for climate action, said Jeanne dArc Mujawamariya, Minister of Environment. “It is obvious through research that local communities are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Our strategies have clear climate resilience measures that are tailored to the communities’ livelihoods.” She added: “Joining hands to embark on the climate and development journey with the Government of Germany is a paramount action that will lead to the concretization of our plans for a green and climate-resilient Rwanda.” In the field of climate-smart urban development, the focus lies on the construction of a new settlement Green City Kigali, with a high urban density and affordable housing for up to 8,000 inhabitants. It involves quality and green urban infrastructure such as nature-based solutions for drainage and heat absorption, rainwater use and freshwater supply as well as wastewater treatment. According to Merard Mpabwanamaguru, Kigali City’s Vice Mayor in charge of Urbanization and Infrastructure, who recently had an interview with The New Times, urban density in Kigali to stand at 1,400 people per square kilometre “which means that given the gap in housing units, we approximately need 859,000 new units to be constructed at least by 2050 to ensure that 3.8 million people are well settled, that’s around 27,000 houses per year.” Rwanda has made strides towards ‘greening’ the City of Kigali and the six secondary cities through different initiatives.
