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ALM Case Study 2010 - Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change by Establishing Early Warning and Disaster Preparedness Systems and Support for Integrated Watershed Management in Flood Prone Areas
Summary:
In 2007 heavy flooding and subsequent landslides in Western Rwanda took the lives of dozens of people in the Nyabihu District. The extreme weather caused extensive damage to houses and property, displacing thousands. For rural Rwandans, with the vast majority of the population engaged in agriculture, irregularity and unpredictability of rainfall has serious consequences (especially in the Western and Eastern provinces). In recognition of the negative effects caused by recurrent droughts and erratic rainfall, establishing early warning and disaster preparedness systems, amongst other adaptation measures, have been identified as a priority. However, the capacity of communities, local government, and national government to respond adequately remains limited. In response, this project is working to manage and cope with the greater frequency and intensity of droughts and floods by increasing resilience and enhancing water security in the Gishwati ecosystem. The designated project area includes regions within the crest area of Nile-Congo basins, identified as being among the most vulnerable to climate change. These regions are already being adversely affected by the increased frequency in floods and landslides. The project aims to reduce the environmental vulnerability of the Gishwati ecosystem and its associated Nile-Congo crest watersheds, and in doing so improve the lives of the people that derive their livelihoods from it.
Adaptation Experience:
The project aims to strengthen national and district capacities to deliver a functional early warning and disaster preparedness system that would allow for early warning of vulnerable populations in the Gishwati ecosystem. The project further aims to build capacities for risk responsive planning at district and local levels and to incorporate climate change risks into district development planning of four districts covering Gishwati forest area. The project will promote and engage in ecosystem rehabilitation - designed in such a way to increase the resilience of ecosystems to intense flooding - as a critical part of the management of disaster risk. It will also develop risk maps, land-use plans and settlement plans that focus on increasing ecosystem resilience to climatic shocks – working to combat the adverse effects of floods and droughts reduced in the Nile-Congo crest watersheds (Nyabarongo and Sebeya rivers) and Gishwati ecosystem. Lastly, the project will strengthen the national information base on climate change and adaptation through dedicated communication, awareness and training activities and the documentation and sharing of lessons learned.
Results and Learning:
Refer to attached ALM Case Study 2010 for further details.
Sustainability:
The project addresses key national development priorities highlighted in the Rwandan Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) and Vision 2020, the UNDAF as well as climate change-related priorities identified and specified through the participatory and bottom-up NAPA process. The project has strong government support as well as buy-in at the district level. Consequently, a high commitment to carry out project activities and to internalize them in long-term government actions and budgets is ensured. Additionally, it is understood that the sustainability of the successful adaptation interventions will depend on them generating monetary benefits (the incentive to keep them going) which will depend on continued access to technical advice and agricultural inputs. It is predicted that through the project, the adaptation measures implemented will generate immediate local level benefits that reduce the current costs induced by climate-related disasters. Improved ecosystem services will contribute to sustainability of production systems in the area, which are currently declining. Successful adaptation measures will be mainstreamed into local plans and budgets.
Replication:
The pilot approach to establishing a functional early warning and disaster preparedness system will generate approaches, tools and methods that can be used elsewhere in Rwanda and finally lead to the establishment of a fully functional national approach. The project will contribute to the national adaptation planning process, which provides the framework for scaling up successful approaches. Additionally, by making explicit link to the UNEP Global Adaptation Network and the UNDP’s ALM, knowledge gained and lessons learned throughout the duration of the project will be shared in order to facilitate replication in other areas and countries sharing similar climate change threats. Working with the international networks of practitioners and web-based platforms for sharing lessons learned and best practices, the Rwanda project will make specific contributions to the Global Network and the ALM.
