rwanda moe rwanda 21 february 201 - green climate fund · 2020-02-01 · simplified approval...

Improving Water Security in Rwanda through Rainwater Harvesting

Rwanda | MOE_Rwanda

21 February 2019

Please submit the completed form to [email protected], using the following name convention in the subject line and file name: “RWH-[Ministry of Environment, Rwanda]- 2018-01-31”

Project/Programme Title: Improving Water Security in Rwanda through Rainwater Harvesting

Country(ies): _Rwanda______________________

National Designated Authority(ies) (NDA):

_Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA)_______________________

Executing Entities:

Accredited Entity(ies) (AE):

Rwanda Water and Forestry Authority (RWFA)_

Ministry of Environment___________

Date of first submission/ version number:

[2018-05-31] [V.0]

Date of current submission/ version number

[2018-01-31] [V.0]

mailto:[email protected]

Simplified Approval Process CONCEPT NOTE Template V.1 GREEN CLIMATE FUND | PAGE 1 OF 5

A. Project / Programme Information (max. 1 page)

A.1. Project or programme ☒ Project

☐ Programme

A.2. Public or private sector

☒ Public sector

☐ Private sector

A.3. Indicate the result areas for the project/programme

Mitigation: Reduced emissions from:

☐ Energy access and power generation

☐ Low emission transport

☐ Buildings, cities and industries and appliances

☐ Forestry and land use

Adaptation: Increased resilience of:

☒ Most vulnerable people and communities

☒ Health and well-being, and food and water security

☐ Infrastructure and built environment

☐ Ecosystem and ecosystem services

A.4. Estimated mitigation impact (tCO2eq over lifespan)

A.5. Estimated adaptation impact (number of direct beneficiaries and % of population)

A.6. Indicative total project cost (GCF + co-finance)

Amount: USD $10 Million

A.7. Indicative GCF funding requested (max 10M)

Amount: USD USD 9 Million

A.8. Mark the type of financial instrument requested for the GCF funding

☒ Grant ☐ Reimbursable grant ☐ Guarantees ☐ Equity

Other: specify___________________

A.9. Estimated duration of project/ programme:

a) Disbursement period: 2018 - 2022

b) repayment period, if applicable: N/A

A.10. Estimated project/ Programme lifespan

This refers to the total period over which the investment is effective.

4 Years

A.11. Is funding from the Project Preparation Facility needed?

Yes ☒ No ☐

A.12. Confirm overall ESS category is minimum to no risk1

☐ C or I-3

A.13. Provide rational for the ESS categorization (100 words)

A.14. Has the CN been shared with the NDA?

Yes ☒ No ☐ A.15. Confidentiality2 ☐ Confidential

☒ Not confidential

A.16. Project/Programme rationale, objectives and approach of programme/project (max 100 words)

Brief summary of the problem statement and climate rationale, objective and selected implementation approach, including the executing entity(ies) and other implementing partners, including who will be implementing the measures to manage the environmental and social risks.

The National Strategy for Transformation has set out as one of the priorities for the next 6 years “Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Environment to Transition Rwanda towards a Green Economy”. One of the key interventions to deliver on this priority is to increase storage of water with particular focus on Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) that provides benefits of climate adaptation, water storage that provides opportunities for increasing access to clean water for domestic use and improving health and sanitation, reducing the burden on women in particular who are predominatly engaged in drawing water from unsanitary sources far removed from homes, improving education opportunities for girls in particular, small scale irrigation for the rural poor farming community and disaster risk reduction (DRR) . A number of

1 Refer to the SAP ESS Guidelines 2 Concept notes (or sections of) not marked as confidential may be published in accordance with the Information Disclosure Policy (Decision B.12/35) and the Review of the Initial Proposal Approval Process (Decision B.17/18).

http://www.greenclimate.fund/documents/20182/184476/GCF_B.12_32_-_Decisions_of_the_Board___Twelfth_Meeting_of_the_Board__8_10_March_2016.pdf/020edfa1-53b2-4abf-af78-fccf5628db2a

http://www.greenclimate.fund/documents/20182/751020/GCF_B.17_18_-_Review_of_the_initial_proposal_approval_process.pdf/559e7b1c-7f34-44dd-9eff-8fa235714312


initiatives have previously been carried out to deliver on this priority and they have adequately informed the potential scale up of this intervention.

A specific project was financed by the national fund for environment and climate change (FONERWA) and has since demonstrated positive results as well as potential for scale up in delivering on the following outputs.

1. Strengthening the existing loan scheme on RWH facilities;

2. Supporting a subsidy & loan system basing on Ubudehe categorization;

3. Disseminating very low cost (artisan) RWH techniques for rural poor households;

4. Constructing RWH systems for selected public buildings and integrated collective household systems.

The current proposal is targeting the scale up of two of the interventions viz: i) Disseminating very low cost (artisan) RWH techniques for rural poor households and ii) Constructing RWH systems for selected public buildings and integrated collective household systems. Additionally, two outputs namely the rehabilitation and protection of RWH structure and knowledge and capacity developed to facilitate policy and planning for local and national level scale up are being considered as part of the application to effectively support scale up of the RWH.

The approach of the program is to draw from progressive experiences from the pilots implemented at various scales around the country and incorporate improvements with updated technologies and consolidate into a coherent national program. This program that targets climate adaptation and enhancing resilience of Rwandan households and institutional infrastructures by addressing water stress and access for both small scale irrigation and other domestic uses will greatly benefit from expansion and dissemination of the RWH techniques and implementation arrangements that have proven successful to date.

B. Project / Programme details (max. 3 pages)

B.1. Context and Baseline (max. 1 page)

Climate change context Current climate variability and early climate change have led to major impacts in Rwanda that are

progressively on the rise. Rwanda has experienced a temperature increase of 1.4°C since 1970 that is

considerably higher than the global average. There is a projected increase in temperature up to 2.5°C by 2050

above 1970 levels as well as Rainfall which is highly variable with average annual rainfall increase up to 20%

by 2050 from 1970. The eastern and southeastern regions are most affected by seasonal droughts, whereas

intense rainfall, erosion, flooding and landslides are dominant in the northern and western regions. Extreme

weather events have evidently had adverse impacts on the livelihoods of poor farming communities in

Rwanda and the conservative estimate of the econmywide cost of climate change has been determined to be

equivalent to a loss of almost 1% of GDP each year by 20303. The study on the economics of climate change

further indicated that $50 – 300 Million per year is needed to effectively address climate change impacts and

reverse the 1% GDP loss. Climate change threats, unless adequately addressed, could significantly undermine

progress toward the implementation of the Paris agreement, SDGs and Rwanda’s long term Vision 2050

targets.

Vulnerability to Climate Change commissioned in April of 2012 by Rwanda Environment Management

Authority (REMA) indicated that heavy rains in the Northern and Western provinces in Rwanda

brought about massive flooding in the area. According to Rwanda Environment Management Authority

(REMA), the estimated economic loss during the flooding totalled over 58 billion RwFs, roughly 1.4% of the

overall GDP of 2011-2012.iii This one destructive season represents just how very vulnerable Rwanda is to

climate variability and the very real economic costs when controls for floods and landslides are not in place.

The Institute of Policy Analysis and Research estimates that Rwanda will need more than 527 billion Rwf in

the next 15 years to come up with climate change mitigation initiatives.

3 Stockholm Environment Institute (2009). Economics of climate change in Rwanda


On the ND-GAIN index, Rwanda ranks 136th out of 181 countries, ranking as the 12th most vulnerable

country to climate change and the 87th least ready country to respond to climate change.iii The Climate

Change Vulnerability Index gives Rwanda an extreme rating, ranking it 7 out of 166 countries based on the

country’s lack of adaptive capacity and marginal level of preparedness.iv Climate change is expected to result

increased temperatures, intensified rainfall, and increased dry seasons, which translates to an increase in

extreme events like droughts and flooding. Given Rwanda’s dependence on agriculture, this will also impact

food security and water availability.

A national vulnerability assessment revealed high sensitivity to climate change and low adaptive

capacity4. Rwanda’s landscape is characterized by steep terrain which limits the potential for agricultural

expansion. While the statistics vary, the Rwandan agricultural sector is the main employer, key contributor to

GDP and wholly responsible for the food security of the country. Like many sector’s in Rwanda, the success

of agriculture is fundamentally tied to providing a climate resilient future. For example, Rwanda’s

dependence on rain-fed agriculture means that the country is incredibly vulnerable to changing patterns in

rainfall. Understanding the sector’s importance and its subsequent vulnerability to climate change is key to

understanding the importance of developing a climate resilient investment framework. More than 70% of the

cultivated land surface has slopes greater than 10%. This results in high levels of erosion and surface run off

into waterways. Annual soil loss through erosion translates into annual economic loss of US$34 million, or

almost 2% of GDP equivalent5. Thus, the current livelihoods practices result in over-exploitation of land, a

high dependence on biomass for household energy needs (80% of the population) and increasing urbanisation

(at 4.4% per year) create significant pressure on natural resources, notably land, water and forests which

consequently exacerbate flooding and diminishing access to water resources. With Rwanda’s population

projected to rise to around 16 million by 2020 and 26 million by 2050, its small land area and high

dependence on agriculture, significant challenges particularly around climate change related flooding, access

to clean water and food security are on the rise.

Rwanda’s high dependence on traditional rain-fed agriculture make it highly vulnerable to changes in

temperature and rainfall. Precipitation is the main source of water for production but it is unevenly

distributed across regions and seasons, with about half of the precipitation occurring in one quarter of the

year. The western half of the country receives an average of 1400 mm, while the eastern half receives less

than 1000 mm. The total area under irrigation is very low with just over 25,590 ha in 2012 and the GoR has

prioritised investment in irrigation infrastructure to increase agricultural productivity, reduce vulnerability to

weather shocks and make rural households more resilient and adaptable to longer term shifts in seasonal

rainfall and rising temperatures which will increase transpiration rates.

Rwanda’s reliance on hydropower production makes it highly vulnerable to changing hydrological

conditions. Rwanda currently relies on hydropower for more than a half of its electricity generation.

Although diversification of energy sources is a high priority, the GoR continues to develop its hydropower

sector as the least cost generation resource. Its overall potential is estimated at about 400 MW but the

installed hydro capacity is currently 57.21 MW6 (Rwanda’s installed hydropower facilities are listed in Annex

4). In the past, poorly protected watershed areas, drought and erratic rains have affected Rwanda’s

hydroelectric power generation. RWH serves as a potential measure to reduce siltation of water bodies that

increasingly hamper hydropower production.

Considering water demand is set to increase in the next 5 – 10 years, the efficient, productive, equitable

and sustainable management of Rwanda’s water resources is a national priority. Despite high rainfall in

the western region (between 900 and 1800 mm per year) and the abundance of lakes, streams and

watercourses, seasonal droughts occur in many parts of Eastern Rwanda. Rwanda’s overall per capita fresh

water availability is estimated at 670 m3. Rwanda has made good progress towards improving water resource

management through the rehabilitation of watersheds and major catchments; rainwater harvesting and storm

4 ‘the ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences’ (Parry et al, 2007 in the VI

study, May 2015). The combination of the strengths, attributes, and resources available to an individual, community, society, or organization that can be used to prepare for and undertake actions to reduce adverse impacts,

moderate harm, or exploit beneficial opportunities (IPCC). 5 REMA (2009) State of Environment and Outlook Report 2009. 6 MININFRA (2015) Sustainable Energy for All Action Agenda Draft for Technical Validation by SWG 16 February 2015


water management; climate change mitigation through catchment afforestation and energy efficiency.

However, it needs to scale up these investments to meet the country’s increasing water demand and to

manage the challenge of adaptation and build resilience in the face of uncertain weather patterns.

Rwanda is a party to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and has

completed its National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA). The National Adaptation Programme of

Action (2006) articulates Rwanda’s strategy to reduce vulnerability to climate change and provides a

technical basis for decision makers to prioritise action areas. The main climatic hazards identified in the

NAPA are intense rainfall, flash flooding, landslides, drought and low flows, extreme temperatures and heat

waves. The plan has provisions for the implementation of adaptation measures to climate change and includes

RWH as a crucial part of Integrated Water Resource Management strategy as one of the key priorities.

In 2011, the Cabinet adopted the GGCRS for Rwanda. The Strategy recognises Rwanda’s high

vulnerability to climate change due to its dependence on rain-fed agriculture and provides a process for

mainstreaming climate resilience and low carbon development into key sectors of the economy. The vision is

for Rwanda to be a developed climate-resilient, low-carbon economy by 2050. The strategy puts forward

several programmes of action for building climate resilience and promoting low carbon development

pathways. Within these programmes, there is provision for constructing water catchment structures, to reduce

flood damage and provide water during droughts as well as increased emphasis on watershed management

and soil retention measures for which RWH has been targeted to promote water access and availability for

rural poor with particular sensitivity to gender.

There is growing evidence that in the last 3 decades, the water resources have been severely degraded,

as evidenced by heavy sediments in rivers; pollution from agricultural chemicals and fertilisers,

industrial effluents and municipal waste; reduced water levels and flow volumes, resulting in

shortages. The challenges of rapid population growth, increased urbanisation and industry, environmental

degradation and pollution are leading to accelerated depletion and degradation of the available water

resources. Critical catchments have been converted into agricultural lands, resulting in destruction and drying

up of many streams, and decline of ground water reserves. Rwanda is a mountainous country with topography

that varies from 900 meters above mean sea level in the East to 4,507 meters at the Kalisimbi peak in the

North. More than 40% of the area is located at elevations of between 1,500-1,800 m. This topography favors

water runoff in a country where it rains with high intensity. About 4.3 billion cubic meter of water is lost as

runoff every year; 30-40% is lost in inefficient supply systems; most irrigation systems are inefficient

(RNRA, 2015).

Thus, there is a need for a more cross-sectoral, systemic approach to climate change resilience in Rwanda.

This underscores the need to design and implement climate change adaptation interventions, that account for

inter-sectoral linkages, co-benefits, trade-offs between sectors in order to leverage adaptation efforts in one

part of the economy to strengthen adaptation in another. This approach will enhance opportunities for socio-

economic, ecological, and institutional coherence in addressing climate change adaptation and RWH as an

adaptation strategy to provide economy wide benefits.


Figure : Economy-wide Linkages and benefits from Climate Change Adaptation interventions7

How these solutions are planned, designed, implemented, and managed needs to take into account both scale

and quality. Decisions need to respond to impacts; water storage and supply to better manage drought

impacts, and improved drainage and stormwater systems as viable measures to reduce flood impacts.

Capacity building and knowledge management will be targeted as part of the GCF resources intervention to

ensure nationwide replication and scale up of the interventions in order to deliver in ways that assure

sustainability.

Water is also at the centre of climate change adaptation. Therefore, increasing extreme events like

prolonged drought have raised concerns for water access, even in areas hitherto known to be water

secure. With reduced and increasingly unreliable rainfall, agriculture is expected to rely on irrigation.

This will,undoubtedly increase the pressure on water resources. How Rwanda’s energy, water supply,and

treatment infrastructure is planned now will dictate the success and resilience of communities.

There also transboundary implications of the national water resources management. Considering

multiple demands, any significant increase in Rwanda’s water demand will impact downstream nations,

primarily the beneficiaries of the Kagera Basin and riparian states of the Nile. Thus, transforming the

national reliance on rainfall, particularly rain-fed agriculture must be a priority reflected in sectoral

development planning and public infrastructure spending.

The Government aims for 100% of the population to have access to water by 20248. The EICV49 of

2014 reports that 90% of urban households and 83.7% of rural households have access to improved

drinking water and only 0.4% come from rainwater as reported in EICV310. The baseline survey carried

out by RNRA11 in 2014 interviewed 1200 users in 6 districts and finds that 28.6% of the population uses

RWH as their source of water. But the survey also mentions that over 60% of those use jerricans for storage

and these might not have been counted in the EICV surveys (see annex 3 for the selection of EICV3 and the

base line survey data).

7 SPCR, Rwanda December 2017 8 National Strategy for Transforamtion (NST1) 2017-2024. 9 NISR-Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey 2013-2014 10 NISR-Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey 2010-2011 11 RNRA RWH Baseline draft Report Presentation 11 November 2014


The water and sanitation policy12 recommends water harvesting as a complementary source of water

and mainly in areas that can otherwise only be supplied by pumping at excessive costs (e.g. hilltop

locations, lava region). Rainwater harvesting is also included in most District Development Strategies to

address issues of water and sanitation, environmental protection and disaster prevention. For instance the

District of Kicukiro has a target to equip 100% of new buildings and 80% of existing buildings with RWH

facilities by 2018, while Rubavu District intends to have 46,125 RWH systems installed by 2018 from 290 in

2012.

Rain water harvesting has shown to be highly successful and acceptable project by communities

considering outcome of previous projects implemented in Rwanda. A project funded by the national fund

for environment and climate change (FONERWA) has shown high acceptance of rain water harvesting

techniques by community. The project targeted to distribute more 2m3 tanks to beneficiary but the request of

5m3 tanks were higly requested which shows the value communities give water storage. Water storage is a

key strategy for climate change adaptation especially for farming households to diversify the cropping

systems, introduce new vegetables and perennial crops, and increase household incomes. Rainfall harvesting

enables households to manage their own water supply for drinking water, domestic use, irrigation and other

income generating activities. It also provides an increased level of drought protection and allows more

flexibility in market timing for farmers who produce market crops.

The baseline study carried out in six districts prior to this project revealed that nearly 30% of the

households claim to use RWH as their main source of water, which is different to from the EICV data

reporting 0.4% of population having RWH. The study reported also that the harvested water is insufficient

for the majority of people interviewed (about 72%). It lasts one month on average. Once depleted, many

people use piped water or springs. This is due to low capacity of RWH tanks used. Major challenges reported

included high costs of RWH facilities, limited storage capacity and irregular rainfall.

WaterAid lists in its technical brief the following benefits of rain water harvesting

➢ Relatively affordable materials can be used for construction of containers and collecting surfaces

➢ Construction methods are relatively straightforward

➢ Requires low maintenance costs and requirements

➢ Collected rainwater can be consumed without treatment, if a clean collecting surface has been used

➢ Provides a supply of safe water close to homes, schools or clinics, encourages increased consumption,

reduces the time women and children spend collecting water, reduces back strain or injuries from

carrying heavy water containers.13

B.2. Project / Programme description (max. 1 page)

Describe the expected set of components and activities to address the above barriers identified that will lead to the expected outcomes. Please explain why this project or programme is ready for scaling up and having the potential for transformation. Has it been piloted in the country or region? Are the proposed interventions well documented for their costs and benefits? Describe in what way the Accredited Entity(ies) is well placed to undertake the planned activities and what will be the implementation arrangements with the executing entity(ies) and implementing partners. Please provide a brief overview of the key financial and operational risks and any mitigation measures identified.

12 Rwanda National Policy & Strategy for Water Supply and Sanitation Services. Feb 2010 13 Fonerwa Rain Water Harvesting Technical Brief, October 2015


In a bid to estimate the cost of Adaptation, the Government of Rwanda (GoR) requested technical

assistance from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to estimate the medium-term

investment needs for advancing Rwanda’s transition to more inclusive green growth, as defined in the

national Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS). For the water sector, specifically, the

GoR can develop a sustainable approach which indicated that Rwanda needs to have spent USD 2.8 billion by

2030 to be able to adapt the water sector to the impact of climate change and that RWH will constitute critical

component. As part of this investment, MoE is submitting an application to GCF under the SAP to scale up the

initiatives already piloted and have demonstrated success under the components the current proposal is targeting

to scale up viz: i) Design and installation of improved water harvesting and storage systems and technologies

and disseminating very low cost (artisan) RWH techniques for rural poor households, ii) Constructing RWH

systems for selected public buildings and integrated collective household systems, (iii) rehabilitation and

protection of exisiting RWH infrastructure and (iv) knowledge and capacity developed to facilitate policy and

planning for local and national level scale up.

Three methods of rainwater harvesting will be promoted: 1) roof top harvesting, 2) underground cisterns

and 3) communal ponds. Roof top harvesting will entail using a subsidy scheme to assist women and men in

at household level and in clustered settlements and public installations such as schools and health centers to

use and maintain rainwater harvesting facilities. The GCF investments will support the construction of cost

effective infrastructure derived from local materials using community labour such as underground cisterns

and a network of ponds to absorb storm water overflows for irrigation and avail water for livestock during the

dry season with agricultural productivity benefits to poor communities vulnerable to climate change impacts.

GCF investments will support a range of measures to improve the management of surface water

around climate vulnerable human settlements and this will reduce run-off and downhill and lowland

flooding, siltation and sediment loads in water courses. With the water table falling rapidly and with

concrete buildings, paved car parks, business omplexes, & landfill dumps taking the place of water bodies,

RWH is the most reliable solution for augmenting groundwater level to attain self-sufficiency in public

distribution of water14

In Rwanda, there is a national policy of clustered settlements that are mostly located at the top of

slopes and ridges, where run-off following intense precipitation is exacerbated by rapid discharge from

roofs, roads and other hard surfaces causing gullies and landslides at the crest of the slope and flooding

and siltation lower in the valley. These risks will increase under climate change, as the climate projections

show increases in heavy precipitation intensity. A survey was conducted over a limited number of users in 6

districts which provides a picture of the application of RWH and gives reasons to believe that while the

technology is already widely adopted there is scope for further expansion and improvements. For instance

most of the users still use jerricans as storage which limits capacity. The conception of this project is further

based on the experience and recommendations from previous projects on rainwater harvesting in Rwanda

including that implemented in Bugesera District, which focused on introducing techniques for collecting

rainwater for improving agriculture rproduction, improving well-being of community through provisioning

dringking water and different uses. This project has shown success and high acceptability to communities and

it was recommened to scale-up rainwater harvesting technique and replicate throughout Rwanda, in particular

in the Eastern province where water scarcity problems mainly are encountered.

The project will invest in small-scale water collection and storage structures at the household and

community level in upland areas to increase water conservation and reduce run-off and erosion during

heavy rainfall. Water storage is a key strategy for climate change adaptation as using harvested rainwater

will enable farming households to diversify the cropping systems, introduce new vegetables and perennial

crops, and increase household incomes. Rainfall harvesting enables households to manage their own water

14 Prof. T I Eldho, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Bombay 5


supply for drinking water, domestic use, irrigation and other income generating activities. It also provides an

increased level of drought protection and allows more flexibility in market timing for farmers who produce

market crops. Storing the water in ponds, tanks and cisterns for local use, will also improve local supplies and

reduce water collection burdens. Rain water harvesting also reduces the burden on women and girls from

collecting and carrying water.

The design, materials, siting and installation of this water infra-structure will take the prevailing and

projected weather conditions into account and will be adequately informed by previous project based

data and information. The structures will be installed in safe zones and in adherence to immidugudu

controls and regulations. Moreover, the project will ensure that the design and construction of ponds, tanks

and drainage systems is such that the structures can withstand heavy rainfall and other climatic extremes. This

will include building in redundancies to ensure that the water infrastructure can continue to operate

effectively under changing climatic conditions. This will include construction of ponds with uilt in erosion

and flood control measures (contour trenches, bunding, progressive terracing, ridges, pits, check dams, and

drainage channels etc.) to maximise their effectiveness as water storage facilities. The project will develop

both technical as well as management skills and support committees to develop a mechanism for cost efficient

and effective investments and therefore financially and economically sustainable. The overall approach will

involve communities and district officials to plan for subsequent maintenance, particularly seeking support

and commitment from the Joint Action Development Forum (JADF) for endorsement of annual action plans

and budgets. These experiences have come as a result of lessons learnt from earlier projects that have

successfully implemented including a project focused on rain water harvesting and reuse in Kamonyi District

Institutions Involved in Implementation: Ministry of Environment (MoE); Ministry of Lands and Forestry

(MINILAF); Rwanda Water and Forestry Authority (RWFA), Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA);

Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA); Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI); Ministry in

Charge of Emergency of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMARNEMA); Ministry of Finance

(MINECOFIN); Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC); Ministry of Gender and Family Affairs

(MIGEPROF); District governments

Implementation Arrangement: The Project Management Unit will be chaired by MoE, supported by the

following institutions: MINILAF; RWFA; MININFRA; MINALOC; Meteo Rwanda, MIGEPROF; District

Governments.

MoE, the accredited entity has policy and M&E oversight over the implementation of IWRM and provides

the overall coordination of the institutions/stakeholders involved in the RWH.

The table below outlines the challenges/ Operational risks and mitigation measures of RWH in Rwanda.15

Risk Mitigation

lack of a clear policy for RWH, The project will help implement the RWH policy and

Strategy by among other things involving relevant

stakeholders to ensure enhanced uptake of the practice

insufficient knowledge and dissemination of

RWH techniques,

Capacity building to address capacity gaps for installation

and operation of RWH systems

low efficiency of water use, high water losses, The use of expected to change rapidly due to the on-going

plans related to irrigation development, development of

industries, expansion of domestic water supply,

lack of integrated management for harvesting

run-off water from the road networks.

Raise awareness and build capacity among planners of

both the common infrastructure as well as developmentby

integrating RWH with road drainage

15 National Rain Water Harvesting Strategy, RNRA; November, 2016


weak coordination, monitoring and evaluation

of interventions at different levels,

Strengthen the coordination of IWRM Plan and in

particular, RWH as an area of growing interest.

growing water demand amidst high population

growth and adverse climate change

need to change practices and increase water storage

through rainwater harvesting at large scale.

inadequate and unreliable financing. Along with improved coordination and stakeholder

mapping, identify reliable funding sources underpinned

by national budget allocation

B.3. Expected project results aligned with the GCF investment criteria (max. 1 page)

1. Climate impact potential [Potential to achieve the GCF's objectives and results]

1. The project will result in emissions reductions by minimising water expenditure through low cost rainwater collection installations.

2. The project will also enhance the adaptive capacity and resilience through:

- Enhancement of soil stability through attenuation of erosion, landslide risk and storm water management, - Employment creation and Creating jobs through the development of home grown construction facilities - Inclusive development through improved livelihoods of vulnerable people and poor farming communities.

3. Adaptation impacts

Climate adaptation impacts will be delivered under all aspects of the project, through the establishment and reinforcement of rainwater harvesting techniques, and the promotion of resilient livelihood activities

B.4 Stakeholders engagement in the project or programme (max ½ page)

Please describe how engagement among the NDA, AE, EE and/or other relevant stakeholders in the country has taken place so far and what further engagement will be undertaken as the concept is developed into a funding proposal.

Rwanda recognizes the importance of engaging multiple-stakeholders and has established mechanisms including regular cross-sectoral planning meetings such as Environment and Natural Sector Working Group and the Joint Action Development Forums (JADF) at the sector and local levels, respectively. These consultative platforms are used for promoting cooperation among the private sector, civil society and the public sector. The Accredited entity (Ministry of Envitonment) coordinates the Environment and Natural Resources Sector (ENR) Sector Working Group (ENR SWG0 that has oversight over the environment and climate change which are considered cross cutting issues. Both REMA, the NDA and FONERWA RWFA (the EE) as well as relevant institutions that are part of the implementation of the RWH are integral to the ENRSWG.. This platform is an opportunity used to COORDINATE different stakeholders in the sector to cope with different challenges and opportunities in the sector and therefore contribute to optimise and scale-up sustainable and climate resilient management of natural resources to accelerate Rwanda's prosperity. A national multi-stakeholder’s steering committee led by the Ministry of environment will be created and used as a platform to promote project level planning and increase synergies of interventions.During the design phase of the full proposal, efforts will be made in consulatation of different stakeholders with interests in the implementation of this project. Stakeholders will form the primary pool of collaborating partners for what is designed as a highly decentralized, collaborative, and transparent project management structure.

B.5 Monitoring and Evaluation and reporting plans (max ¼ page)

Please explain how the M&E will be conducted as part of the project or programme (routine and concurrent monitoring, interim and final evaluations, and annual reports)

Monitoring and evaluation of the project is a critical tool for project management and accountability. Timely and reliable M&E provides information to support implementation, to uphold accountability and compliance, provide opportunity for stakeholders feedback. This project will be implemented through an adaptive framework which feeds the findings of monitoring into operational planning, enabling management strategies to be modified to reflect the evolving situation. The M&E system will provide timely and accurate information for decision-making, generate a shared understanding of


the project context amongst stakeholders, and support adaptive management. A Logical Framework will be developed and will provide performance and impact indicators, targets, means of verification and assumptions under each component and activity.There will be a mid-term evaluation of the project to assess and inform ongoing level of implementation of activities and the final evaluation to assess how well the project achieved its intended objectives and what difference the project has made to liase with climate change effects.

C. Indicative financing / Cost information (max. 2 pages)

C.1. Financing by components (max ½ page)

Please provide an estimate of the total cost per component and disaggregate by source of financing.

Rainwater Harvesting: Urban & Rural Applications (Need to base on identified components)

This is the actual table to fill

Component Indicative cost

(USD)

GCF financing Co-financing

Amount

(USD)

Financial Instrument

Amount

(USD)

Financial Instrument

Name of Institutions

Design and installation of improved water harvesting and storage systems and technologies and disseminating very low cost (artisan) RWH techniques for rural poor households

3.5 M 3.5 M Grant

Constructing RWH systems for selected public buildings and integrated collective household systems

3 M 2 M Grant 1 M Revolving grant

FONERWA

rehabilitation and protection of exisiting RWH infrastructure and

2 M 2 M Grant

knowledge and capacity developed to facilitate policy and planning for local and national level scale up.

1.5 M 1 M Grant 0.5 M Grant RWFA

Indicative total cost (USD) 10 M 8.5 M 1.5 M

For private sector proposal, provide an overview (diagram) of the proposed financing structure.

C.2. Justification of GCF involvement (max 1/2 page)

Explain why the Project/ Programme requires GCF funding, i.e. explaining why this is not financed by the public and/ or private sector(s) of the country. Needs of recipient [Vulnerability to climate change and financing needs of the recipients] The vulnerability and financing needs of the country and population are high as evidenced by the recently prepared Vulnerability Index. The study indicates the scale and intensity of vulnerability of Rwanda based on a comprehensive analysis using 37 vulnerability indicators along with baseline data from a national survey of household vulnerability. A recent risk assessment by MIDIMAR MINEMA also confirmed that the country is highly prone to drought, landslide, flood and windstorms. Rwanda lacks the financial resources to adequately address climate threats and support low carbon growth. The total additional capital costs of shifting to climate resilient and low carbon development pathways outlined in the GGCRS have been estimated to be around USD 2.7 bn (cumulative to 2030) compared to business as usual across three key sectors (water, agriculture, energy). Funding for the implementation of LCCR development activities in Rwanda is mobilised from four principle sources:

• Internal public investment resources,


• External development partner resources,

• International climate finance and

• Non-public sector resources (e.g. NGOs, private sector).

The fiscal balance for Rwanda is inadequate to finance the additional costs of shifting to climate resilient and low carbon development pathways outlined in the GGCRS. Rwanda is well positioned in terms of its institutional capacity to absorb and manage climate finance.

Rwanda’s good progress towards high fiduciary management standards, its commitment to service delivery and its strong track record of effective and efficient budget execution demonstrate it is at an advanced stage of climate finance readiness. However, there are insufficient funds domestically to fund the green growth transition and GCF funding can help kick-start this.

The establishment of the Environment and Climate Change Fund (FONERWA) provides a robust structure for channelling, programming, disbursing and monitoring additional environment and climate change finance to Government agencies, Districts, CSOs and the private sector.

Country ownership [Beneficiary country ownership of project or programme and capacity to implement the proposed activities] The Green Growth and Climate Resilient Strategy (GGCRS) is central to the achievement of the government key development target of becoming a developed climate-resilient, low-carbon economy by 2050. The proposed programme will help to deliver against key programmes of action in the GGCRS including supporting integrated approaches to sustainable land use planning and management as well as integrated water resource management and planning and disaster management which are planned to be significantly achieved by RWH.

Planned interventions will benefit from the existence of strong policy and institutional frameworks to address climate change issues. Rwanda has a comprehensive environment and climate change policy (currently undergoing revision) and legislation which provides an enabling environment for the development and implementation of progressive national strategies such as the National Strategy for Transformation (NST), institutional franmeworks, and sector strategies for addressing climate risks and threats. Strong political will and ownership exists that is demonstrated through national dialogues such as the High level Policy dialogue on GGCRS. The Sector working groups and the Joint sector reviews are other cross sector platforms for ensuring environment and climate change is mainstreamed across sector specific priorities. There is a strong emphasis on ensuring the participation of multiple stakeholders in the project including the local district authority, civil society and a number of private sector firms as well as the local community. Local level adaptation planning is facilitated by the JADF which brings together all actors including public, private sector, civil society and development partners in a forum to engage in consultative planning and budgeting as well as monitor progress in implementation of district priorities. . Effectiveness and efficiency

[Economic and financial soundness and effectiveness of the proposed activities] The exact cost-effectiveness of the project will be assessed during the design phase (full proposal preparation). Previous studies have demonstrated reliable positive results in terns of NPV and BCR and therefore high economic return. The economic benefits of RWH, in reducing risk of damage (which are expected to increase under climate change) have been found to be economically and financially rewarding (positive NPV).

C.3. Sustainability and replicability of the project (exit strategy) (max. 1/2 page)

Please explain how the project/programme sustainability will be ensured in the long run and how this will be monitored, after the project/programme is implemented with support from the GCF and other sources.

Sustainable development potential [Potential to provide wider development co-benefits]

The project is anticipated to have major co-benefits. The exact figures and indicators will be expanded during the project design.

Economic co-benefits

For the overall development:


- Diversified livelihoods and increased incomes - Growth of competitive low carbon artisanal sector - Reduced losses and costs associated with disaster response and rehabilitation costs from extreme weather

events such as floods and landslides - Increased access to low cost, low carbon construction materials

Social co-benefits

- Increased skills within the local workforce - Reduced poverty levels with associated reduction in agricultural and other property losses - Improved health, well-being and safety resulting from increased access to clean and safe water - Increased access to education for children as a result of reduced time to travel long distance for water

Environmental co-benefits

- Stabilised slopes and reduced erosion - Improved soil quality, water retention capacity and increased agricultural productivity - Reduced likelihood of flooding

Gender-sensitive development impact

- Jobs created for women - Reduced time spent collecting water for women and children - Increased understanding of gendered/social inequalities through social mix. - Vulnerable households including women headed households benefit from jobs created and increased

incomes - Reduced burden of walking/carrying water and improved sanitation for school going girls

Paradigm shift potential [Potential to catalyze impact beyond a one-off project or programme investment]

It has a huge potential to cost effectively scale up, replicate and sustain the results of the interventions through:

- further development of the 'home grown' construction materials and technicques to increase capacity, expertise and the competitiveness of the products and skills, ensuring sustainability after project.

- Increase in water for irrigation and year round intensive agriculture and livestock production systems

Potential for knowledge and learning

The proposed project has components for knowledge and capacity building, and will use the learning from the RWH project to help inform the subsequent national scale up. The project includes measures to transfer and mainstream the knowledge generated and lessons learned and ensure that the necessary capacity is developed within local and national institutions.

A fundamental part of the project will be to build capacity of beneficiary community members in construction and management of artisanal infrastructure new businesses involving both genders.The project presents the potential to accelerate provision of high quality and very practical information and lessons on how to achieve Low cost climate resilience development in a developing country,

The RWH project will create the enabling environment for subsequent scale up. It will help the successful implementation and will ensure benefits that go beyond the lifetime of the project and achieve transformative effects including enhancing educational opportunities for children and girls in particular who experience low school attendance as a result of poor sanitary conditions in schools thus affecting long term schoo; performace and achievement.

Contribution to the regulatory framework and policies. Working closely with local government policy makers will create the potential to strengthen regulatory frameworks and policies to drive investment in low-emission technologies and activities and improve climate-responsive planning and development. Rwanda has a comprehensive, coordinated and progressive legislative framework but implementation and results particularly at local community levels need improvement. The current interest and momentum of RWH as a cliemate resilient meaure provides scope for high level policy discussions and communication of results with scope for mainstreaming climate change into policies and regulatory frameworks. The Ministry of Environment chairs a high level dialogue on a semi-annual basis to review and update the cross-sectoral implementation of the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy (GGCRS). As well as improving decision-making


processes at national, regional and local levels, this will also boost investment and the participation of the private sector in Low Carbon and Climate Resilience (LCCR) market development in line with national strategies.

For non-grant instruments, explain how the capital invested will be repaid and over what duration of time.

D. Annexes

☐ Environmental and Social Safeguards screening check list (Annex 1)

☐ Map indicating the location of the project/programme (as applicable)

☐ Evaluation Report of previous project (as applicable)


Annex 1: Environmental and Social Screening Checklist

Part A: Risk Factors

The questions describe the “risk factors” of activities that would require additional assessments and information. Any “Yes” response to the questions will render the proposal not eligible for the Simplified Approval Process Pilot Scheme. Proposals with any of the risk factors may be considered under the regular project approvals process instead.

Exclusion criteria YES NO

Will the activities involve associated facilities and require further due diligence of such associated facilities?

☐ ☒

Remarks/additional information, if any:

Will the activities involve trans-boundary impacts including those that would require further due diligence and notification to affected states?

☐ ☒


Will the activities adversely affect working conditions and health and safety of workers or potentially employ vulnerable categories of workers including women and children?

☐ ☒


Will the activities potentially generate hazardous waste and pollutants including pesticides and contaminate lands that would require further studies on management, minimization and control and compliance to the country and applicable international environmental quality standards?

☐ ☒


Will the activities involve the construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of critical infrastructure (like dams, water impoundments, coastal and river bank infrastructure) that would require further technical assessment and safety studies? Be careful

☐ ☒


Will the proposed activities potentially involve resettlement and dispossession, land acquisition, and economic displacement of persons and communities?

☐ ☒


Will the activities be located in protected areas and areas of ecological significance including critical habitats, key biodiversity areas and internationally recognized conservation sites?

☐ ☒


Will the activities affect indigenous peoples that would require further due diligence, free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) and development of inclusion and development plans?

☐ ☒


Will the activities be located in areas that are considered to have archaeological (prehistoric), paleontological, historical, cultural, artistic, and religious values or contains features considered as critical cultural heritage?

☐ ☒


Part B: Specific environmental and social risks and impacts


Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts

YES NO TBD

Has the AE provided the E&S risk category of the project in the concept note?

☐ ☐ ☐


Has the AE provided the rationale for the categorization of the project in the relevant sections of the concept note or funding proposal?

☐ ☐ ☐


Arethere any additional requirements for due diligence and management plans by the country (e.g., EIAs, EMPs, etc)?

☐ ☒ ☐


Are the identification and assessment of risks and impacts based on recent or up-to-date information?

☒ ☐ ☐


FONERWA financed project on RWH

Labour and Working Conditions YES NO TBD

Will the proposed activities expected to have impacts on the working conditions, particularly the terms of employment, worker’s organization, non-discrimination, equal opportunity, child labour, and forced labour of direct, contracted and third-party workers?

☐ ☒ ☐


Will the proposed activities pose occupational health and safety risks to workers including supply chain workers?

☐ ☒ ☐


Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention YES NO TBD

Will the activities expected to generate (1) emissions to air; (2) discharges to water; (3) activity-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emission; and (5) waste?

☐ ☒ ☐


Will the activities expected to utilize natural resources including water and energy?

☒ ☐ ☐


Will there be a need to develop detailed measures to reduce pollution and promote sustainable use of resources?

☐ ☒ ☐


Community Health, Safety, and Security YES NO TBD

Will the activities potentially generate risks and impacts to the health and safety of the affected communities?

☐ ☒ ☐


Will there a need for an emergency preparedness and response plan that also outlines how the affected communities will be assisted in times of emergency?

☐ ☒ ☐


Will there be risks posed by the security arrangements and potential conflicts at the project site to the workers and affected community?

☐ ☒ ☐


Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement YES NO TBD

Will the activities likely require further due diligence and consultation to ascertain consistency with the ESS standard requirements ?

☐ ☒ ☐


Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources

YES NO TBD

Will the activities likely introduce invasive alien species affecting the biodiversity of the area?

☐ ☒ ☐


Will the activities have potential impacts on or dependent on ecosystem services?

☒ ☐ ☐


Beneficial provisioning services – water for irrigation/domestic

Indigenous Peoples YES NO TBD

Will the activities likely to have impacts on indigenous peoples and communities?

☐ ☒ ☐



Will continuing stakeholder engagement process and grievance redress mechanism be integrated into the management / implementation plans?

☐ ☒ ☐


Cultural Heritage YES NO TBD

Will the activity hinder continuous access to the cultural heritage sites and properties?

☐ ☒ ☐


Will there be a need to prepare a procedure in case of discovery of cultural heritage assets or physical cultural resources?

☐ ☒ ☐


Sign-off: Specify the name of the person responsible for the environmental and social screening and any

other approvals as may be required in the accredited entity’s own management system.

i Rwanda Environment Management Authority. The Assessment of Economic Impacts of the 2012 Wet Season Flooding in Rwanda. Kigali: October 2013. http://www.rema.gov.rw/fileadmin/templates/Documents/rema_doc/publications/Planning%20docs/ECONOMIC%20IMPACT%20OF%202012%20WET%20SEASON_2013.pdf ii Costs were inclusive of the agricultural and livestock loss and well as the costs for infrastructure replacement. iii The ND-GAIN Index summarizes a country’s vulnerability to climate change and other global challenges in combination with its readiness to improve resilience. More information can be found here: http://index.gain.org/country/rwanda. The Global Climate Risk Index ranks Rwanda 132nd on their list. The ranking is based on fatalities in 2014, fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants, losses in PPP and losses per unit GDP in %. iv Verisk Maplecroft. “Risk calculators and dashboards.” https://maplecroft.com/about/news/climate_change_risk_list_highlights_vulnerable_nations_and_safe_havens_05.html (accessed 5 July 2017).

http://index.gain.org/country/rwanda

https://maplecroft.com/about/news/climate_change_risk_list_highlights_vulnerable_nations_and_safe_havens_05.html

https://maplecroft.com/about/news/climate_change_risk_list_highlights_vulnerable_nations_and_safe_havens_05.html