Managing natural resources in Rwanda’s districts under competing development pressures

This policy brief examines the challenges of managing natural resources in three Rwandan districts—Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe—amidst national goals to modernize agriculture and increase energy output. It highlights a critical tension between national development targets and local resource scarcity, particularly regarding water and woody biomass, and recommends tailored local actions supported by national policy and financial incentives to ensure sustainable growth.

• Rwanda has set ambitious national targets for economic growth and energy access, including increasing electricity access from 17% in 2010 to 100% by 2020 and growing energy generation from 45MW in 2006 to 563MW in 2018, primarily through hydropower.
• Across the Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe districts, there is a widespread scarcity of woody biomass driven by the demand for agricultural land, construction materials, and charcoal, which leads to forest and soil degradation.
• Urban demand for charcoal, particularly in Kigali where approximately 70% of residents use it for cooking, is a primary driver of deforestation in the districts of Rutsiro and Bugesera.
• Water scarcity and pollution affect all three studied districts, though the causes vary: Rutsiro faces infrastructure challenges due to hilly terrain and pollution from coltan mining, while Bugesera and Kirehe suffer from a lack of treatment plants and pollution from riverbank farming.
• Energy poverty is severe in the three districts, with 96–99% of the population lacking electricity access and 95–97% of families relying on firewood for heating and cooking.
• Agricultural productivity in these districts remains low due to traditional, un-mechanized farming practices, limited irrigation, and a lack of financial capacity for farmers to reinvest in their land.
• To combat deforestation, the report recommends that the national government create policy mechanisms and incentive schemes to shift urban demand from charcoal to sustainable cooking fuels.

APA

Johnson, O., Ogeya, M., Muhoza, C., Ogol, T., & Karlberg, L. (2018). Managing natural resources in Rwanda’s districts under competing development pressures. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/rwanda-nexus-district-development1.pdf

Chicago

Johnson, Oliver, Mbeo Ogeya, Cassilde Muhoza, Tom Ogol, and Louise Karlberg. Managing natural resources in Rwanda’s districts under competing development pressures. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2018. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/rwanda-nexus-district-development1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Johnson |first1=Oliver |last2=Ogeya |first2=Mbeo |last3=Muhoza |first3=Cassilde |last4=Ogol |first4=Tom |last5=Karlberg |first5=Louise |title=Managing natural resources in Rwanda’s districts under competing development pressures |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2018 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/rwanda-nexus-district-development1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{johnson2018managing, author = {Johnson, Oliver and Ogeya, Mbeo and Muhoza, Cassilde and Ogol, Tom and Karlberg, Louise}, title = {{Managing natural resources in Rwanda’s districts under competing development pressures}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2018}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/rwanda-nexus-district-development1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }