Mainstreaming climate information into sector development plans: the case of Rwanda’s tea and coffee sectors

This report describes a 'policy-first' or 'decision-first' approach to mainstreaming climate adaptation into sector development plans, using a case study of the tea and coffee sectors in Rwanda. It contrasts this with 'science-first' methods, emphasizing the integration of climate risk information into existing policy cycles to ensure interventions are economically justifiable and aligned with development objectives.

• The report advocates for a 'decision-first' (or 'policy-first') approach to climate adaptation, which begins with development objectives rather than climate model projections. This method embeds climate forecasts and impact assessments within a broader policy context to inform decisions specifically for the next decade.
• Mainstreaming is defined as the integration of adaptation into existing policies and decision-making processes, as opposed to treating adaptation as a standalone activity. This requires identifying 'entry points'—opportunities in national, sector, or local planning where adaptation can be integrated.
• The report identifies three categories of decision-first interventions: immediate actions addressing the 'adaptation deficit' (current climate variability), the integration of adaptation into long-life decisions like infrastructure, and early planning for future impacts using adaptive management.
• In Rwanda, tea and coffee are highly climate-sensitive crops that represent over 20% of total exports by value. These crops are vulnerable to rainfall variability and temperature changes, with coffee specifically threatened by the upward spread of coffee (leaf) rust.
• Climate projections for Rwanda indicate a median temperature increase of approximately 1°C between 2020 and 2050 relative to a 1970-1999 baseline. This shift is expected to make low-lying tea production areas (around 1700 metres) less suitable while opening new cultivation areas at higher elevations.
• The Rwanda case study applied the decision-first cycle by aligning adaptation activities with the Agriculture Sector Investment Plan (ASIP2) and the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) phase II (2013-2018).
• To avoid the risk of 'lock-in' during Rwanda's plan to double tea production, the report emphasizes using future climate projections to site new production zones, avoiding low-lying areas that will be affected by rising temperatures first.
• Successful implementation of the Rwanda resilience plan required securing finance from the start to prevent the plan from remaining 'on the shelf.' Funding was aligned with the national climate and environment fund (FONERWA) and the British Department for International Development (DFID).

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2015). Mainstreaming climate information into sector development plans: the case of Rwanda’s tea and coffee sectors. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Adaptation_case-of-Rwanda.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Mainstreaming climate information into sector development plans: the case of Rwanda’s tea and coffee sectors. 2015. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Adaptation_case-of-Rwanda.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Mainstreaming climate information into sector development plans: the case of Rwanda’s tea and coffee sectors |date=December 2015 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Adaptation_case-of-Rwanda.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2015mainstreaming, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Mainstreaming climate information into sector development plans: the case of Rwanda’s tea and coffee sectors}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2015}, month = dec, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Adaptation_case-of-Rwanda.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }