The Rwandan Climate Change and Development Project - Adapting by Reducing Vulnerability involves relocating communities from zones impacted by climate change.
17 September 2010: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have announced the implementation of the Rwandan Climate Change and Development Project – Adapting by Reducing Vulnerability (CC DARE).
The project involves relocating human settlements from Rwanda’s sloping Gishwati Forest, an area that has suffered severe environmental degradation, exacerbated by extreme weather events. In an effort to reduce the vulnerability of local communities and the ecosystem to climate change impacts, human settlements are being located to safer zones. The joint UNEP/UNDP CC DARE programme aims to complement and strengthen ongoing and planned adaptation and risk management activities, based on national priorities. According to UNEP, rehabilitation efforts will maximize Rwanda’s chances of establishing new carbon sinks in Gishwati. In addition, the success of the CC DARE project has assisted Rwanda in leveraging additional funds including US$15.9 million from the UNFCCC Least Developed Country (LDC) Fund. [UNEP Press Release] [CC DARE Website]