Rwanda’s economy and the livelihoods of her people are dependent on natural resources that are increasingly under pressure from unsustainable use resulting in environment degradation. The main challenge is utilization of natural resources in the promotion of economic growth while simultaneously conserving natural resources and avoiding soil erosion, deforestation and environment general degradation and dealing with challenges climate change. Environmental conservation in Rwanda is impeded by inadequate and unclear long-term strategies for environmental mainstreaming as well as lack of capacity and the strategy within environmental institutions. This is a barrier towards the achievement of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) and Vision 2020 priorities in environment.
UNDP Rwanda supported the government of Rwanda through her relevant institutions in developing sound environmental management policies and strategies for poverty reduction, sustainable economic growth, climate change challenges and achievement MDGs. UNDP continued to provide capacity support to the ministry in charge of environment and other sister government institutions to mainstream and integrate environment policies and the strategies into national development programmes as well as district planning, policy and budget processes to implement the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). UNDP Rwanda also supported the government in the development of enabling policy framework to support an effective system for environment management and ecosystem conservation. UNDP continued to provide capacity support at national, district and community level to restore and protect ecosystem of national and global importance against potential degradation. REMA and RDB developed a revenue sharing policy ploughing back tourism revenue to local communities through UNDP technical advice and support. Nyungwe national park management established a data monitoring policy to facilitate information management and processing for prompt decision making. UNDP continued in 2010 to provide capacity support to the national and decentralized leadership and institutional frameworks to manage climate change risks, policies and opportunities in an integrated economic development.
UNDP co-chairs the Environment and Natural Resources Sector UNDP provided technical and financial support to the GoR in the development of the Environment and Natural Resources Sector Wide Approach, a collaborative mechanism that brings together all development partners in a coherent support to environment programmes
UNDP Rwanda provided technical support towards the recovery of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and other Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in meeting the Montreal Protocol goal through support to the Recycle and Recovery Centre in Kigali. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and the Organic Law on the Environment in National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) were developed and are mainstreamed at national and decentralized levels with the primary objective of strengthening ecosystem conservation ) through UNDP support to the Rwanda Environmental Management Agency . A Capacity needs assessment was conducted by Rwanda Agriculture Development Authority (RADA) with UNDP financial and technical support in four districts: Ngororero, Musanze, Burera and Nyabihuto to define the policies and strategic intervention areas in use and management of agricultural land in environmental sustainable ways as part of UNDP technical support towards policy regulation. |
Rwanda
