Policy coherence around energy transition and agricultural transformation in Rwanda

The document examines the water-energy-food nexus in Rwanda, highlighting that high population growth and climate change create severe pressure on land, water, and biomass. Scenario modelling indicates that even under optimistic conditions, fuel wood demand will exceed supply, and aggressive irrigation targets could exceed water availability by three times. The authors argue that current sectoral disconnects threaten ecosystem preservation and recommend coordinated central planning and multi-stakeholder dialogue to avoid negative externalities.

• There are significant trade-offs between energy and agricultural goals regarding water use: prioritizing water for hydropower can constrain irrigation, while allocating water to upstream fields for agriculture can limit hydropower generation.
• Scenario modelling through 2050 shows that pressure on water ecosystems, biomass, and land remains severe due to climate change and population growth. Even in an 'Optimistic scenario' focused on replacing cooking fuels, the demand for fuel wood is projected to be twice as high as the supply.
• Planned land-use changes and energy production sources pose threats to ecosystems, specifically the planned conversion of approximately 100,000 hectares of wetlands into agricultural land and the use of peat for energy production.
• Current agricultural modernization targets are unsustainable relative to water availability; if 40% of farms are equipped with irrigation, water demand would exceed the total availability in lakes and rivers by a factor of three.
• The authors conclude that a lack of coordination between sectors at national and district levels threatens sustainable resource use, necessitating more strategic central planning and multi-stakeholder dialogue.

APA

Johnson, O. W., Mbeo, C. M., Ogol, O. T., Binnington, T., Flores, F., & Karlberg, L. (2018). Policy coherence around energy transition and agricultural transformation in Rwanda. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/johnson-rwanda-nexus-policy-brief-final-1.pdf

Chicago

Johnson, Oliver W., Cassilde Muhoza Mbeo, Ogeya Tom Ogol, Taylor Binnington, Francisco Flores, and Louise Karlberg. Policy coherence around energy transition and agricultural transformation in Rwanda. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2018. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/johnson-rwanda-nexus-policy-brief-final-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Johnson |first1=Oliver W. |last2=Mbeo |first2=Cassilde Muhoza |last3=Ogol |first3=Ogeya Tom |last4=Binnington |first4=Taylor |last5=Flores |first5=Francisco |last6=Karlberg |first6=Louise |title=Policy coherence around energy transition and agricultural transformation in Rwanda |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=November 2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/johnson-rwanda-nexus-policy-brief-final-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{johnson2018policy, author = {Johnson, Oliver W. and Mbeo, Cassilde Muhoza and Ogol, Ogeya Tom and Binnington, Taylor and Flores, Francisco and Karlberg, Louise}, title = {{Policy coherence around energy transition and agricultural transformation in Rwanda}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/johnson-rwanda-nexus-policy-brief-final-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }