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Energy and Environment

BACKGROUND

Recently, the Government of Rwanda has undertaken a deep commitment towards creating legal precedence with the new Organic Law and bolstering institutional support for the conservation of the environment. Sustainable environmental development is a crosscutting issue and highly prioritized by Rwanda. National policy objectives for the management and protection of environmental resources include reducing the proportion of the population dependent on agriculture, the rate of diseases related to environmental degradation, and dependency on non-renewable biomass energy.

The effects of environmental degradation in Rwanda are particularly acute with respect to the living conditions of rural areas and the urban poor. Rural households in particular strongly rely on natural resources as a basis for farming, energy production and housing. Additionally, environment degradation has been severely exacerbated by conflict, repeated population displacement and the clearing of natural areas for the resettlement of refugees from surrounding states since 1994. Because of this, Rwanda has entered the realm of environmental management at a critical point in time, recognizing that the proper management of it’s natural resources is a fundamental requirement for a sustainable existence in the future. It is thus the objective of UNDP Rwanda to support, aid and ensure the forward movement of environmental sustainability.

Environment

The Sustainable Livelihoods Unit at UNDP Rwanda is engaged in several initiatives in collaboration with the Government's strategies for poverty reduction.

In particular a strong initiative to mainstream environmental issues into the country's next Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper is enabling policy makers and the government to address issues of poverty by improving environmental management.

Additionally, other initiatives include: the promotion of alternative energy sources to replace the use of biomass energy, the protection of the remaining natural forests by refining resettlement strategies and planning for returning refugees and institutional capacity building and support for the sustainable management of environmental resources

Ongoing Projects (by MYFF Service Lines)

Project ID Title
00044067 Bulding Capacity for Sustainable Land use and Management in Rwanda.
00046709 Rwanda Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI)
00050174 Strengthening Biodiversity Conservation Capacity in the Forest protected Area System of Rwanda (PAB)
00060325 Technical Assistance and Equioment Programme for 3 Regional Retrofitting and Recovery/Recycling Centres (Terminal Phase-out Management Plan (TPMP) project in Rwanda)
00060880 National Environment Youth Project
00060895 Amélioration Quartiers Précaires des Villes de Karongi et de Rusizi en Province de l'ouest
00060897 Decentralization and Environment Management Project (DEMP) Phase II
00058716 Emergency Disaster Coordination and Preparedness
N/A The Global Environment Facility (GEF)/ Small Grants Programme (SGP)
N/A Support for Clean Dvelopment Mechanism (CDM) project development