Climate and Development Outlook

This report by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) details Rwanda's efforts to establish a climate-resilient green economy, focusing on the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS) and the creation of FONERWA, a national climate fund.

• Climate change poses a significant economic risk to Rwanda, with a 2009 study estimating an annual GDP cost of 1% by 2030. The country is particularly vulnerable in its agricultural sector, which employs 80% of the population, and its energy sector, where hydropower provides 55% of installed generation.
• The Government of Rwanda (GoR) approved the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS) in 2011. This strategy identifies seven 'Big Wins'—high-return investments such as geothermal energy development, climate-resilient road networks, and integrated soil fertility management—and 14 'Programmes of Action' to transition to a low-carbon economy.
• Rwanda has an estimated geothermal potential of 700MW, which could exceed the country's domestic electricity demand by 2020 if exploited. This is seen as a way to reduce reliance on foreign oil imports and increase economic stability.
• FONERWA (the Fund for Environment and Climate Change) was established as a national 'basket fund' to pool international and domestic climate finance. In June 2013, it received £22.5 million from the British International Climate Fund (ICF), making it the largest demand-based climate fund in Africa.
• FONERWA provides funding through four thematic windows: conservation and sustainable natural resource management; R&D, technology transfer and implementation; environment and climate change mainstreaming; and environmental impact assessment monitoring and enforcement. The fund earmarks 20% of its resources for the private sector and 10% for local districts.
• The second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS 2), approved in May 2013 for the period 2013-2018, integrates climate change and the environment as a 'cross-cutting issue'. It identifies both FONERWA and the GGCRS as strategic tools for implementing national sector plans.

APA

Roux, J.-P. (2013). Climate and Development Outlook. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CDKN-Outlook-8_Rwanda_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Roux, Jean-Pierre. Climate and Development Outlook. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2013. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CDKN-Outlook-8_Rwanda_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Roux |first1=Jean-Pierre |title=Climate and Development Outlook |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=September 2013 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CDKN-Outlook-8_Rwanda_WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{roux2013climate, author = {Roux, Jean-Pierre}, title = {{Climate and Development Outlook}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CDKN-Outlook-8_Rwanda_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }