Rwanda rehabilitates wetlands to protect 220,000 people from floods

Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva announced that the rehabilitation of five urban wetlands in Kigali will protect more than 220,000 residents from flood risks.

He shared this update during the 31st UN Climate Change Conference in Türkiye. The government and international partners invested approximately $195 million into flood-risk reduction, upgrading informal settlements, and building access roads. This funding also supported the restoration of five wetlands covering nearly 500 hectares in the capital city.

Nsengiyumva stated that these nature-based solutions provide resilience while creating jobs and public green spaces. Rwanda plans to expand this model to secondary and satellite cities as part of its third climate action plan. Nsengiyumva highlighted the Green Gicumbi project in the Gicumbi District, which strengthened the resilience of about 249,000 people. In that project, communities terraced hillsides and protected watersheds while moving vulnerable families into climate-resilient homes.

The Prime Minister noted that while Rwanda aims to reduce emissions by 53 per cent by 2035, it requires $12 billion in investment to meet this goal. He called for international support to remove barriers that prevent capital from flowing into viable projects in developing countries.