Nature-based solutions (NbS) like green corridors and urban wetlands, are emerging as a cornerstone of Kigali’s sustainable urban development. With climate-related risks such as flash flooding and landslides posing risks to vulnerable communities, initiatives like the Scaling Urban Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) project are reshaping the narrative on how cities can harmonize growth with environmental stewardship.
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, and delivered by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the World Resources Institute, and the City of Kigali, SUNCASA is a three-year project designed to strengthen the resilience of 2.2 million people living in high-flood-risk areas in Kigali, Johannesburg (South Africa), and Dire Dawa (Ethiopia). The initiative will be launched this November 29 and 30, 2024 at the Kigali Marriott Hotel alongside a tree-planting drive during the weekend’s Umuganda community service.
In Kigali, SUNCASA is restoring nine critical sub-catchments in the lower Nyabarongo River, where steep slopes expose households to landslides and flooding. By 2026, the project aims to enhance the resilience of 975,000 residents while promoting gender equality, social inclusion, and biodiversity protection. Working with local partners like the ARCOS Network, AVEGA-Agahozo, and Rwanda Young Water Professionals, the project will plant 2 million trees in the Gasabo, Nyarugenge and Kicukiro districts.
This immense undertaking will involve establishing 395 hectares of vegetated buffer zones along the Nyabarongo River to stabilize gullies and riverbanks, as well as the creation of new forests on 220 hectares of degraded land across the. Along with the reforestation of 650 hectares with 1 million trees, these interventions aim to restore the city’s natural landscapes.
Alongside these efforts, SUNCASA conducts community workshops with women, men and local leaders to discuss the roots of gender-based exclusion. In Rwanda, where economic opportunities and political decision-making roles are predominantly held by men, these conversations support communities to interrogate social norms and gender biases, and aim to reduce barriers to women’s involvement in policy-making processes. With more women empowered to take on leadership roles, families, neighborhoods and the environment all stand to benefit.
SUNCASA also supports youth and the urban poor: the project’s agroforestry component, which will see 125,000 fruit trees planted across the project sites, helps diversify income sources for vulnerable communities. Over its three-year implementation, the project also aims to create thousands of green jobs in Kigali alongside training opportunities for communities.
Led by the City of Kigali, the recently launched "Igiti Cyanjye” campaign embodies the community-centric ethos of these efforts. The initiative, kicked off during Umuganda in October 2024, saw thousands of people coming together across Kigali with a clear goal: planting trees and taking responsibility for the care of urban green spaces. SUNCASA aims to align with these efforts by planting more than 88,000 trees in public gardens and along roadways, integrating nature into Kigali’s daily urban life. Communities play a tremendous role in maintaining these green spaces, and the "Igiti Cyanjye” campaign is a call to action: we must play an active role in shaping a sustainable future for us all.
A Blueprint for Africa’s Urban Future
The City of Kigali is leading several initiatives to align its growth with environmental protection. Complementing the work of SUNCASA are initiatives like the Green City Kigali Master Plan and the Rwanda Urban Development Project. Through these large-scale projects, the City is protecting its wetlands, rivers, and water sources – critical natural assets in the fight against climate change.
But achieving urban resilience requires more than these significant ecological interventions. It demands the integration of NbS into Kigali’s urban planning framework. Through the SUNCASA project, the City of Kigali is institutionalizing gender-responsive NbS in city policy and practice. Through digital tools and strong monitoring frameworks to track gender, adaptation, mitigation and biodiversity benefits, SUNCASA will support local partners and agencies to make an evidence-driven case for NbS, ultimately enabling the City to unlock climate financing and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Looking to the rest of the African continent, two-thirds of African cities are expected to face adverse climate impacts. Without effective climate action and investments, many of the risks that cities are facing will escalate. Now is the time to invest in NbS that empower communities, protect ecosystems and secure our urban future. Kigali is setting an example for other African cities by showing how resilience can be rooted in nature and nurtured by communities, for communities.
The authors are the Mayor of City of Kigali, Samuel Dusengiyumva; Marc Manyifika Ir from World Resources Institute; and Janina Schnick from International Institute for Sustainable Development).