The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and the Government of Rwanda have launched a $9 million climate resilience project aimed at reducing flood and landslide risks in Rwanda’s vulnerable western region.
The initiative, “Nature-based flood adaptation to increase resilience of communities in western Rwanda,” was formally launched during a three-day workshop in Kigali from February 18 to 20, 2026.
The project will be funded through a $9 million grant from the African Development Fund, the concessional lending arm of the AfDB Group, and will be implemented by the Rwanda Water Resources Board.
Nature-based solutions to address escalating climate risks
Western Rwanda has experienced frequent floods and landslides in recent years, leading to loss of life, destruction of homes, damage to public infrastructure and disruption of economic activity.
New projects will deploy ecosystem-based approaches to high-risk watersheds to address recurrent flooding, soil erosion, and land degradation.
Measures include:
Restoration of degraded watersheds
Riverbank stabilization
Repair work on steep slopes
Forest regeneration and sustainable land management
Watershed restoration and environmental monitoring
The program is expected to benefit approximately 620,000 people living in areas prone to floods and landslides.
“Climate-related disasters continue to pose serious risks to communities in the western region,” said Vivian Chinyoro, AfDB’s Rwanda Country Program Officer, on behalf of Rwanda Country Manager Aissa Touré-Sar.
“Through this investment, the Bank supports sustainable nature-based solutions that not only reduce flood risk but also strengthen livelihoods, strengthen environmental protection, and create local employment opportunities.”
Strengthen early warning and local preparedness
Beyond physical recovery efforts, this project will strengthen disaster preparedness by implementing:
climate information system
Early Warning System (EWS)
Improving regional planning for disaster response
These measures aim to improve community-level adaptation to climate change while protecting agricultural land, housing and critical infrastructure.
The initiative also has a strong focus on gender equality and youth employment, with green job creation and local technical capacity building integrated into the implementation plan.
National climate and water security priorities
Richard Nilishema, executive chairman of the Rwanda Water Resources Board, said the project is a milestone in Rwanda’s climate resilience agenda.
“By prioritizing nature-based solutions, we are strengthening resilience across high-risk catchments while protecting critical infrastructure, agricultural livelihoods and the long-term sustainability of water resources,” he said.
The program aligns with Rwanda’s national climate resilience and sustainable landscape management priorities, while strengthening AfDB’s climate change and green growth strategy.
Ensuring transparent implementation
The launch workshop included training sessions on procurement, financial management, environmental and social protection measures, and monitoring and evaluation criteria.
AfDB officials said the session was designed from the outset to ensure efficient, transparent and results-oriented implementation.
As climate-related disasters intensify across the region, this project signals increased investment in ecosystem-based adaptation as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to traditional hard infrastructure solutions.
