Engage private sector in climate change adaptation through improved forest management in the North-West of Rwanda for feeding efficient low emission cooking solutions for urban areas (EPAFLEC)

The EPAFLEC project aims to restore 6,000 hectares of degraded smallholder forests in North-West Rwanda by organizing farmers into Private Forest Management Units (PFMUs) and linking them to professional wood value chains. The project seeks to reduce pressure on forests by shifting 35,000 households—20,000 in Kigali and 15,000 in rural areas—from traditional charcoal and three-stone fires to wood pellets and improved cookstoves (ICS). It integrates private sector investment from SEAL and BioMassters Ltd to create a sustainable supply of raw materials for high-value wood products and clean fuels. The initiative also includes developing alternative incomes like beekeeping and establishing community revolving funds funded by carbon credits to ensure long-term sustainability and resilience for local communities.

• The project targets the restoration and sustainable management of 6,000 hectares of tree plantations owned by smallholders, organizing them into Private Forest Management Units (PFMUs) of 25-100 hectares each to improve productivity and ecosystem resilience.
• To reduce forest degradation and GHG emissions, the project will transition 20,000 urban households in Kigali to wood pellets and gasifier stoves, and 15,000 rural households to improved wood cookstoves, reducing annual wood consumption from 8 tons to 0.8 tons for urban households and from 2.7 to 1.1 tons for rural households.
• The project expects to achieve a total mitigation impact of 213,267 tCO2eq over its lifespan, with carbon sequestration increasing significantly after year 6, reaching an estimated 486,645 tons in year 10.
• The initiative leverages private sector partnerships with SEAL (Sawmill East Africa Ltd) and BioMassters Ltd, with an estimated total project cost of 21 million USD, consisting of 10 million USD in GCF grants and 11 million USD in co-financing.
• To prevent premature harvesting of woodlots and improve livelihoods, the project will develop alternative income sources such as beekeeping and establish community revolving funds linked to the valorization of generated carbon credits.
• The project addresses high climate vulnerability in North-West Rwanda, where increased rainfall intensity and forest degradation have heightened the risks of landslides and floods in high-slope areas.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2021). Engage private sector in climate change adaptation through improved forest management in the North-West of Rwanda for feeding efficient low emission cooking solutions for urban areas (EPAFLEC). https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/27160-engage-private-sector-climate-change-adaptation-through-improved-forest-management-rwanda.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Engage private sector in climate change adaptation through improved forest management in the North-West of Rwanda for feeding efficient low emission cooking solutions for urban areas (EPAFLEC). 2021. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/27160-engage-private-sector-climate-change-adaptation-through-improved-forest-management-rwanda.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Engage private sector in climate change adaptation through improved forest management in the North-West of Rwanda for feeding efficient low emission cooking solutions for urban areas (EPAFLEC) |date=27 November 2021 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/27160-engage-private-sector-climate-change-adaptation-through-improved-forest-management-rwanda.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2021engage, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Engage private sector in climate change adaptation through improved forest management in the North-West of Rwanda for feeding efficient low emission cooking solutions for urban areas (EPAFLEC)}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/27160-engage-private-sector-climate-change-adaptation-through-improved-forest-management-rwanda.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }