Green City Kigali: a new model for urban development in Rwanda

As Rwanda urbanises rapidly, it is facing significant climate variability, which is leading to increased heat and more erratic and heavy precipitation. The resulting floods and landslides in informal peri-urban expansion areas around the capital city Kigali recurrently lead to the destruction of homes, infrastructure, livelihoods, and the loss of lives.

The Government of Rwanda is committed to addressing these climate challenges facing large parts of its urban population by changing the paradigm of public investments. The Green City Kigali Masterplan for Kinyinya Hill sets out a complete settlement with climate risk-reducing infrastructure and decentralised low-carbon basic services. On-site vocational training will enable the community to upskill and partake in the green transformation, building sustainable and resilient livelihoods.

The Green City Kigali Project will allow Rwanda to implement this changing paradigm and invest comprehensively in climate-compatible upgrading. This will build climate resilience for the existing community and new residents. The project aims to make recurrent flooding, landslides, and loss of livelihoods and lives a thing of the past. 

The funding proposal was developed with support provided by the Project Preparation Facility.