Officials from the AfDB Group, Rwanda Water Resources Board(RWB) and Western province beneficiaries at the official project launch of the project in Kigali this Wednesday
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the Government of Rwanda have launched a $9 million grant project to strengthen flood resilience and climate adaptation in Rwanda’s Western Province.
The initiative, unveiled on Tuesday through the Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB), is titled “Nature-Based Flood Adaptation to Increase Community Resilience in the Western Part of Rwanda.”
The project will deploy ecosystem-based solutions to address recurrent flooding, soil erosion and land degradation in high-risk watersheds across Western Rwanda.
It will focus on restoring degraded catchments, stabilising riverbanks, rehabilitating steep slopes, and promoting reforestation and sustainable land management practices.
Officials say the intervention will strengthen natural buffers against extreme weather events and help protect lives, farmland and critical infrastructure, while directly benefiting thousands of households in flood‑prone districts.
AfDB Country Manager for Rwanda, Aissa Toure Sarr, said climate-related disasters continue to pose serious risks to communities in Western Rwanda.
“Through this investment, AfDB is supporting sustainable, nature-based solutions that not only reduce flood risks, but also strengthen livelihoods, enhance environmental protection and create local employment opportunities,” she said.
In recent years, Western Rwanda has experienced increasingly frequent floods and landslides, leading to loss of life, destruction of homes, damage to public infrastructure and disruption of economic activities.
The project prioritises preventive and cost‑effective adaptation measures that restore ecosystems while strengthening community resilience.
Beyond physical restoration works, the initiative integrates cross‑cutting priorities, including gender equality, youth employment and climate adaptation. Activities such as watershed rehabilitation, tree planting and environmental monitoring are expected to generate green jobs and build local technical capacity.
The Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB), as the executing agency, will oversee implementation in close collaboration with district authorities and beneficiary communities.
“By prioritising nature‑based solutions, we are strengthening resilience in high‑risk catchment areas while protecting critical infrastructure, agricultural livelihoods and the long‑term sustainability of our water resources,” an RWB official said. “This integrated approach ensures that environmental protection and socio‑economic development advance hand in hand.”
A three‑day launch workshop, running from February 18 to 20, 2026, is aligning implementation arrangements with AfDB requirements on procurement, financial management, environmental and social safeguards, as well as monitoring and evaluation, to ensure transparent and results‑oriented delivery.
The project contributes directly to Rwanda’s national priorities on climate resilience and sustainable landscape management, while reinforcing the African Development Bank’s Climate Change and Green Growth Strategy.
