RWANDA

AT A GLANCE
Head of Government:  President Paul Kagame
Next election:  August 2010
Capital:  Kigali
Population:  10 million (UN, 2008)
Independence:  1962 from Belgium
Human Development Index (HDI):  165th of 179 countries (2008)
Gender Gap Index (GGI):  N/A, but gender-related development index (GDI) is 142nd out of 157 countries (2008)
Gross National Income (GNI) per capita:  US$320 (World Bank, 2007)

Protecting and Managing the Environment to Improve the Lives of Rwandans

Status: Operational
Local Partner: Rwanda Environment Management Authority
Canadian Expert: Bernard Boudreau

Faced with an alarming rate of environmental destruction (such as deforestation, soil degradation, pressure on wetlands, water contamination) and its negative impact on the poor, the Rwandan government formed the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA).  REMA oversees the integrity of Rwanda’s environment for sustainable development. It implements national environmental policy and its subsequent legislation and coordinates environmental protection activities relating to specific natural resources or environmental services such as agriculture, water, mining, forestry, waste management, etc. To achieve its objectives, REMA has to work across sectors, with and through public and private sectors and civil societies.

REMA requested Canadian technical assistance from CIDA’s Deployment for Democratic Development (DDD) to develop the necessary promotional tools and expertise that would ensure a more effective and democratic management of the environment. Bernard Boudreau, Canadian expert in environmental impact studies, is helping to set up an environmental management plan based on decentralization which encourages local community involvement and equal access to resources, particularly for women and the poor. Working closely with REMA, DDD seeks to alleviate the pressures on the environment and improve the living conditions of Rwandan families.