Rwanda is highly vulnerable to climate change, with rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and extreme weather events such as floods and droughts affecting agriculture, water resources, and biodiversity. The country has already experienced a temperature increase of about 1.4°C since the 1970s and now faces shorter yet more intense rainy seasons. In 2023, several rounds of heavy rainfall led to severe floods and landslides most notably in the Western Province resulting in over 130 fatalities and displacing more than 20,000 people. Such events have intensified soil erosion, disrupted transport and infrastructure, and stressed vital services like health care and water management.

In response, the Government of Rwanda has embedded climate resilience into its national policies. The revised Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (2023) and the updated Nationally Determined Contributions set ambitious targets such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 38% by 2030 compared to business-as-usual scenarios. These policies emphasize sustainable land use, climate-smart agriculture, and renewable energy investments to mitigate adverse climate impacts and stimulate green growth. Enhanced early warning systems and coordinated disaster management through the Rwanda Meteorology Agency and the Ministry of Emergency Management have further strengthened preparedness against future events.

Mobilising climate finance for green growth

Rwanda has made tremendous strides in mobilizing climate finance to drive its transition toward a climate-resilient, low-carbon economy. Central to this effort is the Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA), which channels domestic and international resources into projects ranging from renewable energy and climate-smart agriculture to sustainable urban development. Since its inception, FONERWA has disbursed funds to over 40 projects, significantly boosting the country’s capacity to adapt and mitigate climate risks.

In addition to FONERWA, Rwanda actively engages with global financial institutions and bilateral partners. Recent initiatives include accessing concessional finance under the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility and using public–private partnerships through the Rwanda Climate Finance Partnership announced at COP28.

These collaborative efforts have secured innovative financing instruments such as green bonds and blended finance to meet growing climate investment needs. According to the National Climate and Nature Finance Strategy (2024–2030), Rwanda aims to mobilize an estimated $11 billion for its NDC implementation, with a strategic focus on gradually increasing the share of private capital. This multi-pronged approach ensures that Rwanda not only meets its domestic climate action goals but also contributes to the broader global sustainable development agenda.

There are still challenges that exist and amendments to policy and legislation can be made to help unlock greater, needed flows of climate finance. Therefore, Rwanda has joined the Parliamentary for Climate Finance (PCF) project to strengthen the role of lawmakers in driving reforms. Through the PCF, Rwanda’s parliamentarians are engaging in dialogue with financial institutions, development partners, and ministries to enhance transparency, promote climate budgeting, and advocate for laws that attract both public and private climate finance. The project supports Rwanda’s efforts to align financial flows with national climate priorities while ensuring that funding reaches communities most vulnerable to climate impacts.