Short-medium term priorities (2020 – 2030) 

In the next five to ten years, targeting urbanisation increase will go hand in hand with ensuring that rural settlements thrive, guaranteeing universal access to basic services, improving regional transport connections, and gradually transitioning to cleaner energy for everyday tasks like cooking. Universal access will be achieved by 2024 through a quick scale-up in deployment of installation of mini grids and quality solar home systems in line with the Ministerial Guidelines (2019). Households will gain access to modern energy cooking services (i.e., improved cooking stoves) and to alternative fuels (e.g. LPG, electricity, ethanol, pellet instead of biomass). 

Long term ambitions (2030 – 2050) 

The ambition for Rwandan rural settlements in 2050 envisions that all households will have availability of improved water sources in dwellings/yard (i.e. access to safely managed drinking water services). Once universal access to energy is achieved, the focus will shift to improving reliability and quality of access including expanding grid electrification and “stacking” energy access technologies to expand options for high-quality renewable energy in everyday life. Green villages will be scaled up, gradually incorporating the ‘smart’ component in them, and serving as model to other communities. Longer term plans also include the gradual phasing out of ICE buses in favour of electric vehicles. 

Financing and unlocking implementation 

Reaching ambitious targets by 2024 will require coordination across a range of stakeholders. Households will have a major role in the implementation – especially in accessing clean energy technologies. Public funding and policies will support these goals by facilitating private sector investment, encouraging access to consumer finance, and promoting broad community engagement and behavioural change. While most of the investment will be mobilized from the private sector, targeted public funding will ensure lower income households are not left behind and have access to basic goods, services, and economic opportunities. Large-scale public investment will be needed in rural transport networks and water treatment infrastructure.

​​​​​​Short-medium term priorities (2020 – 2030) 

The immediate priority is to ensure food security in the context of rapid urbanisation, population growth, and climate change which increases pressure on scarce land resources. Climate smart crops and improved livestock husbandry will be implemented, including increased use of mechanisation, efficient and clean irrigation and on-farm water management. Investment is needed in climate-smart varieties of key crops, multi-cropping and continuous crop rotation to diversify livelihoods and manage soil quality, in improved use of organic fertilisers to boost yields while also managing soil erosion and improving soil fertility. Finally, insurance markets for climate and disease related incidents will be developed to protect farmers and communities against remaining climate risks that they are not well able to manage. 

Long term ambitions (2030 – 2050) 

Much of the priorities for sustainable agriculture, forestry and conservation need to be implemented in the next decade to ensure Rwanda’s growth is sustainable and supported by a rich and resilient natural environment. Natural resources will need to be preserved and support diversified livelihoods. 

Financing and unlocking implementation 

At an institutional and policy level, operationalising the recently finalised National Agriculture Policy (2018) and the Land Use and Development Master Plan (2020) are the immediate priorities. A key enabling pillar for the realisation of this PoA is the increasing use of GIS data to support land use prioritisation and management. The majority of finance must come from the private sector, with public policy and small windows of catalytic public funding used to create the right incentives for bankable investments in resilient agricultural practices, forestry and land use. Rwanda will continue to need to mobilise resources from innovative financing instruments including exploring the use of labelled bonds (“green”, “sustainability”, Revised Rwanda Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy Final 93 “transition”) and implementation of payment for ecosystem services, biodiversity, accessing carbon finance etc.