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CC DARE
in Rwanda
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Country Status
in Brief |
Rwanda is one of the 20
poorest countries in the world, ranking 161 out of 177 countries on the
2007 Human Development Index. The percentage of the population living
below the poverty line (less than $1 per day) declined from 70% in 1994,
to 60% in 2002. Rwanda is highly aid-dependent, with currently 50% of
government revenue coming from donor support.
Rwanda has a temperate climate with two
rainy seasons (March to May; October to December). It is a landlocked
and densely populated country with few exploitable resources. The
majority of Rwandans exist on subsistence agriculture. Periodic drought,
soil erosion and soil exhaustion through over-cultivation on small
family plots has led to food insecurity in some parts of the country.
Coffee and tea are the main export products.
The Government ratified the UNFCCC in August 1998. The country has
developed and submitted its Initial National Communication (INC) in
September 2005 and its National Adaptation Programme of Action in
December 2006. |
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CC DARE
mission |
The CC DARE team conducted
an inception mission to Rwanda, jointly with UNDP, the Least Developed
Countries Adaptation Fund (LDCF) and the Africa Adaptation Programme for
Climate change (AAP), from 4th to 9th July 2009. The objectives of the
mission were to increase awareness of the CC DARE programme among main
stakeholders involved in climate change adaptation in Rwanda and
coordinate efforts with similar initiatives. Consultations were held
with national stakeholders and development partners in order to identify
how CC DARE may contribute to national adaptation priorities, in the
context of other programming initiatives supported by UNEP, UNDP and
other bilateral and multilateral development partners. |
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Linkages to
other initiatives |
Existing and planned
climate change adaptation and related activities in Rwanda include those
identified in the Strategic Document on Poverty Reduction, the Initial
National Communications (INC), the National Capacity Self Assessment
(NCSA), the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), as well as
in the ongoing development process of the Second National Communications
(SNC) of Rwanda. More specifically, a UNDP/GEF capacity building project
for sustainable land use and management in Rwanda is being implemented
in four Districts (out of 30) of the country. The objective is to
address the causes to land degradation due to poor cultivation, in the
mountain agro-ecological zone of the country.
Furthermore, the UNDP Small Grants
Programme is implementing a project that aims at restoring the
socio-economic and environmental situation of the communities in the
Nyabihu district, through profitable and environmentally friendly
farming practices. In addition, the Government of Rwanda has recently
engaged in developing two climate change adaptation programmes:
1. “Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change by Establishing Early
Warning and Disaster Preparedness Systems and Support for Integrated
Watershed Management in Flood Prone Areas” supported by the LDCF under
the Global Environment Facility
http://www.gefonline.org/projectDetailsSQL.cfm?projID=3838)
2. “Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change
Adaptation in Africa”, AAP supported by the Government of Japan
http://www.undp-adaptation.org/africaprogramme/
Information gathered on these initiatives
was useful in shaping the collaborative efforts between CC DARE and
Rwanda, and the development, approval and the support to be provided by
CC DARE. The CC DARE programme is expected to remove adaptation barriers
and pave the way for the implementation of larger-scale programmes in
the country.
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Proposals
submitted |
Following the inception
meeting, the following three projects were submitted for review to the
CC DARE team:
1. "Building capacity and raising awareness for a sensitive community on
climate change adaptation in Rwanda", proposed by the NGO Nile Basin
Discourse Forum (NBDF) and
2. "Adapting to Climate Change through Land and Biodiversity
Conservation in Gishwati Area in the Nyabihu District", submitted by the
Rwanda Environmental NGOs Forum (RENGOF).
3. "Flood mapping, zoning, and interventions in the Republic of Rwanda",
proposed by Rwanda NGOs’ Forum on Water, Sanitation and Environment (RWASEF).
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Projects
selected |
The following two projects
were selected after review and revision of the original proposals:
1.
Building capacity and raising awareness for a sensitive community on
climate change adaptation in Rwanda (NBDF).
2. Adapting to Climate
Change through Land and Biodiversity Conservation in Gishwati Area in
the Nyabihu District (RENGOF).
Both projects are currently in their initial phase of implementation.
The main objectives of the NBDF project are to:
1. Build capacity of the general public, journalists and civil society
organizations on climate change adaptation
2. Generate adequate information through the production and
dissemination of awareness materials on climate change adaptation
3. Document and disseminate best practices on climate change adaptation
and vulnerability reduction.
NBDF Newsletter
NBDF
Brochure
webpage: www.nbdfrwanda.org;
e-mail: info@nbdfrwanda.org.
The expected outcomes of the RENGOF project are:
1. Sensitized, aware and capacitated stakeholders, including
communities, civil society organizations, extension staff and local
government authorities who are ready to offer services, take ownership
and cooperate in building resilient communities and ecosystems, and
adapt to climate change;
2. Demonstrated small scale activities as a means to get accurate
insight on ecosystem management, as an adaptation to climate change;
3. Designed plan available to local government authorities as a tool for
stimulating the implementation of climate change adaptation initiatives
in Gishwati Area of Nyabihu District and for replication in other
vulnerable regions, areas and Districts of Rwanda.
4. Shared experiences and knowledge on planning for mainstreaming of
climate change adaptation at the local government level.
NGOs Forum (RENGOF - Email: fenvironment@yahoo.com) |
Country status
in brief |
The ratification of the
UNFCCC, on June 1994, was a political act by which the republic of Benin
has committed itself to ensure its responsibility in matters of
mitigation of green house gasses and the development of measures of
adaptation of the populations to the effects of climate change. The
country has elaborated its Initial National Communication and National
Strategy for the Implementation of the Convention, with financial
support from the GEF, respectively in 2002 and 2004. The country's
National Action Plan for Adaptation (NAPA) was finalized in 2008. |
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Contact
persons |
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Links |
Adaptation Learning
Mechanism information on Rwanda:
http://www.adaptationlearning.net/country-profiles/rw
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