Policy coherence around energy transition and agricultural transformation in Rwanda

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the interactions between energy transition and agricultural transformation in Rwanda. Using scenario modelling up to 2050, the authors identify critical resource competition hotspots—particularly regarding water, land, and biomass—and argue that a lack of coordinated planning between sectors threatens the country's sustainable development goals and ecosystem preservation.

• There are significant policy conflicts and synergies between Rwanda's energy and agricultural goals. For instance, prioritizing water for hydropower can constrain irrigation for agriculture, while increased agricultural production can provide more residues for biogas or pellet production.
• Modelling of development pathways up to 2050 indicates that pressure on water ecosystems, biomass resources, and land will remain severe due to climate change and high population growth. Even in an 'Optimistic' scenario where biomass is replaced as a primary cooking fuel, 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 through the planned conversion of approximately 100,000 hectares of wetlands into agricultural lands and the use of peat for energy production.
• Current agricultural modernization goals may be unsustainable regarding water availability; if 40% of farms are equipped with irrigation, the demand for irrigation water would exceed the total availability in lakes and rivers by a factor of three.

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} }