Rwanda

Please download the PEI Country fact sheet on Rwanda (PDF)

Basic facts of the PEI in Rwanda

PEI Rwanda (2012-2013) is a joint Government of Rwanda, UNDP Rwanda and PEI programme that aims to enhance the contribution of sound environmental management to poverty reduction, sustainable economic growth and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
This programme builds on the achievement of Phase I (November 2005–May 2007) which ensured the integration of environment into Rwanda's Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) and Phase II (August 2007–December 2011) which developed capacity for sound environmental management at the local, district, and national level, in collaboration with other on‐going initiatives to enable the implementation of the EDPRS and its environmental sustainability commitments.
PEI Rwanda is executed by the Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Natural Resources and implemented by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority in close collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning as well as the Ministry of Local Government and Good Governance, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Energy, Transport and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Investment Promotion, Tourism and Cooperatives.
The total budget is over USD 4 million: USD 610,000 (2005–2007); USD 2,470,000 (2007–2009); and USD 1,084,000 (2012-2013). Funding for the project is provided by the Government of Ireland, Government of Belgium, the Government of Norway (through UNEP), UNDP Rwanda and the One UN Fund.
The programme is working closely with UNEP's Division of Early Warning and Assessment on Environment and Climate Change Assessments and UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics on Green Economy.

The context of poverty-environment mainstreaming in Rwanda

Rwanda's population is estimated at 11 million (2011) and the national poverty headcount fell from 60.4% in 2001 to 44.9% in 2011. However, the current rate of reduction in poverty is not sufficient to meet the MDG target of 30.2% by 2015.
Rwanda's economic growth rates are high (8.2% in 2011) but this growth is not translating into significant poverty reduction. Poverty affects rural areas significantly more than the urban ones, and in particular, women-headed and child-headed households. The rural population is mainly engaged in agriculture which accounts for more than 80% of employment.
Rwanda's economy and the livelihoods of her people are highly dependent on natural resources that are under pressure from unsustainable use including soil erosion, deforestation and the impact of increasing climate variability and climate change. As such, unsustainable use of environment and natural resources hinders the achievement of national objectives related to improving land, forestry and water resources, agricultural productivity and more generally rural livelihoods.
Rwanda's "Vision 2020" (1999) is the country's overarching national planning and policy framework into which other strategies, plans, programmes and policies should fit. It states that Rwanda will endeavour to "mainstream the environmental aspect in all policies and programmes of education, sensitisation and development and in all the processes of decision‐making".
The Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS, 2007) recognized environment as both a cross‐cutting issue and an independent sector. PEI was strongly engaged in the elaboration of the EDPRS and supported both the Environment and Land Use Management Sector Working Group and the Cross‐Cutting Issues Working Group. Rwanda is one of the eight 'One UN pilots'. Environment is one of five focus areas of the UNDAF, which reflects that the environment is substantively included in the EDPRS, which can be significantly attributed to the PEI Rwanda programme. Both the new EDPRS and UNDAP are under development to be completed in 2012.
Recent evaluation and stock taking exercises indicate that support is required in the area of raising awareness of poverty and environment linkages at sector and sub national levels; enhancing institutional capacity to integrate poverty, environment and climate change issues in planning, budgeting and monitoring systems and development programs at sector level and achieving substantively increased investment in inclusive and environmentally sustainable growth. The review and development of the Vision 2020 and EDPRS II along with the development of District Development Plans are important opportunities to ensure equitable and sustainable growth is effectively addressed with key results, indicators and proposed investment.

Main activities

Inclusive growth and environmental sustainability integrated in key national and sector plans, budgets and monitoring systems

Engaging in the formulation of EDPRS II including documentation of lessons learned from EDPRS implementation, development of a framework for monitoring and evaluating poverty-environment indicators in EDPRS II, and facilitating consultations with sector working groups;
Contribute to the review of Vision 2020 and the identification of targets related to poverty reduction (inclusive growth) and environmental sustainability.

Improved capacity of planning officers to include poverty reduction and environmental sustainability targets in policies, plans, budgets and monitoring systems

Capacity development in key productive sectors including environment, finance, infrastructure, agriculture, local government and commerce on integrated planning and monitoring tools;
Provision of technical support to the Ministry of Finance and sectors for implementation of poverty-environment mainstreaming in sector plans, budgets and monitoring systems;
Develop the capacity of civil society organizations engaged in priority PE sectors to enhance understanding of poverty-environment issues and promote engagement in decision making, monitoring and access to resources

Guidance package for integrating climate change, livelihoods and environmental sustainability in local level planning and resettlement programmes developed

Develop and disseminate guidance package for integrating environmental sustainability, livelihoods and climate change adaptation in planning processes at national, sector and decentralized levels (including re-settlement planning) based on lessons learned from demonstration projects;
Explore steps to enhance the cost-effectiveness, including environmental costs, of agricultural practices in terms of poverty.

Investment framework for public and private investments in pro-poor growth, environmental sustainability and climate change finalized

Support the strategic planning and institutional development process to complete the establishment of FONERWA ('Environment fund') including the development of resource mobilization strategy
Contribute to the formulation of the Private Sector Development Strategy through the integration of poverty reduction and environment aspects as well as support Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production policy and strategy dissemination in key sectors.

What has been achieved to date?

Improved collaboration and understanding between environment, planning/finance agencies, non-government actors and key donors on poverty-environment mainstreaming

The project has also resulted in improved awareness, with radio programmes "targeted at ordinary people" as well as productions for TV, radio and print media. The programme has worked systematically towards the building of skills, among government personnel and local government officials, with workshops that have served to 'make the case' for poverty-environment integration and that have transferred some important skills (integrated ecosystem assessment, indicator development) to a wide range of development actors in Rwanda. PEI implemented also demonstration projects in two districts.

Improved capacity for the integration of poverty-environment issues in key planning frameworks for poverty reduction and growth and in relevant sectoral policies, plans and implementation processes

Development of a knowledge base on poverty‐environment linkages in Rwanda through e.g. an economic analysis of the costs of environmental degradation, identification of poverty‐environment‐energy linkages, and a pilot integrated ecosystem assessment.
Since 2005, the PEI project has been instrumental in ensuring that the EDPRS includes poverty and environmental issues through sector-specific and cross cutting interventions with particular focus to supporting economic sectors to integrate poverty and environment issues in ways that enhance and optimize sector performance. The evidence and advocacy provided by PEI were instrumental in this accomplishment. Most sectors have taken on board environmental recommendations and planned actions.
The PEI project impacted directly on the UNDAF (2005-2010) and its Common Operational Document that includes sustainable use of environment and natural resources as a priority sector.

Improved capacity of planning/finance agencies, sector ministries and private sector to make informed budget allocations and investment decisions to develop and manage their natural resources sustainably for pro-poor development

Strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Economic planning to support environment as a cross cutting issue in budget call circular- and improved budgeting for sustainability across sector ministries. As a result of training and engagement with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning as well as other key economic sectors in environment mainstreaming, new public projects are required to conduct Environment Impact Assessments as part of the drive towards environmental protection and overall management.
Linkages between environment and poverty are reflected in Sector Strategic Plans and priorities. environment mainstreaming was carried out in pilot sectors including Agriculture, Energy, Trade and Industry by identifying clear environmental priorities which were then included in their budget submissions for 2011/2012. Capacity building through internship programme made a tremendous improvement in Environmental mainstreaming at sector levels
PEI supported sustainable financing initiatives for effective environment mainstreaming by informing national financing and budgetary processes through public environmental expenditure review, Environmental Fiscal Reform and most pertinently, establishing the legislated fund for environment and climate change (FONERWA).

Lessons learned

Involvement of key stakeholders from the very start of programme development ensures broad ownership and improves the efficiency and effectiveness of its implementation.
It is crucial to clearly demonstrate the links between poverty and environment at the national level in a language familiar to planners and policymakers. In particular the use of economic assessments has been vital in influencing development decision‐makers in Planning/Finance and key sector ministries.
It is necessary to provide sustained support over a longer period. PEI Rwanda's continuous engagement in the EDPRS process ensures better mainstreaming results by closely monitoring the process and responding to specific needs from the other sectors pertinent to integration of environment.
A key to success has been PEI's ability to link with, and insert themselves in, other larger policy processes, and to feed these processes with ideas, tools and opportunities.
The production of tools such as mainstreaming guidelines, sector‐specific environmental checklists and poverty‐environment indicators provides concrete guidance to the sectors and relevant ministries and enhances the mainstreaming process.

Way forward

The PEI programme will deepen engagement with the lead institution for planning and finance and provide support to priority sector institutions such as Finance and Economic Planning, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Energy, trade and industry and Local Government to strengthen the integration of inclusive growth and environmental sustainability in sector policy development, budgeting and monitoring processes.
The programme will also focus on long term sustainability of investments in promoting sustainable utilization of environment and natural resources and inclusive growth.
Support to advocacy, policy dialogue and the development of a comprehensive investment framework for public and private investment in pro-poor growth, sustainable use of environment resources and addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation.
PEI will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders including government institutions, research and academia, civil society, media, private sector and other development of partners to integrate the views of the poor and marginalized groups.
Engagement in the development of EDPRS including its monitoring framework to integrate poverty and environment indicators
Building capacity of local government authorities to integrate environment into district development plans, including support for communities to implement projects promoting environmental sustainability and poverty reduction.
Active participation in the Sector Working Group in support of the Environment and Natural Resource sector and the Sector Wide Approach process. PEI will continue to be part of the Sector Working Group Secretariat and the Environmental Thematic Group chaired by UNDP and UNEP.