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

The document examines the tension between Rwanda's national development goals—such as becoming a middle-income country by 2020—and the resulting pressure on natural resources at the district level. Focusing on Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe, it identifies widespread scarcity of woody biomass and clean water, driven by urban demand for charcoal and traditional farming practices. It argues that while national strategies like the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy exist, there is a gap in translating these into local action, necessitating tailored district-level solutions and national policy incentives to shift urban energy demand away from charcoal.

• Rwanda's national ambitions for agricultural growth and energy expansion create significant pressure on limited water and biomass resources, potentially leading to conflict over water demanded by hydropower, irrigation, and urban supply.
• Woody biomass scarcity is a critical issue across the studied districts, driven by the demand for construction materials, agricultural land, and charcoal, particularly to supply Kigali where approximately 70% of residents use charcoal for cooking.
• In the Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe districts, electricity access is extremely low, with 96–99% of the population lacking access and 95–97% of families relying on firewood for heating and cooking.
• Water scarcity and pollution drivers vary by district: 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.
• Agricultural productivity in the studied districts is hindered by traditional, un-mechanized practices, limited irrigation, and a lack of finance for farmers to upgrade their farms.
• Addressing deforestation requires more than increasing biomass supply; it necessitates a national-level shift in urban demand from charcoal to alternative energy sources to free up land for agriculture or afforestation.

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} }