Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, is embarking on an ambitious endeavor to address its pressing climate hazards, including flash floods, landslides, and soil erosion, through nature-based solutions.

The Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) project, a three-year initiative, aims to strengthen the resilience of 975,000 residents while promoting gender equality, social inclusion, and biodiversity conservation.

Launched on November 29, 2024, at the Marriott Hotel in Kigali, the project is a collaboration between the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the World Resources Institute, and local organizations, with funding from Global Affairs Canada.

The USD 7 million investment will focus on restoring nine critical sub-catchments in the lower Nyabarongo River watershed, where steep slopes expose households to both landslides and downstream flooding.

The project plans to plant around two million trees through various nature-based solutions, including establishing new forests, reforesting degraded land, and creating buffer zones to stabilize gullies and riverbanks. SUNCASA is committed to fostering gender equality and social inclusion, with at least 50% of project participants being women.

“The SUNCASA project is a perfect match with the city plan to become a city in the forest,” said Samuel Dusengiyumva, the Mayor of Kigali. “We really intend to increase our greening scope from households to public places, and we want to ensure that we bring nature-based solutions to our interventions beyond the trees.”

In addition to its activities in Kigali, SUNCASA is also working with the cities of Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, and Johannesburg, South Africa, to advance nature-based solutions for urban climate adaptation. The project’s total investment of USD 21 million will enhance the resilience of 2.2 million people in high-flood-risk areas across the three cities.

“SUNCASA’s rapid progress in Kigali is truly inspiring, especially the active participation of communities in cultivating seedlings and planting trees,” said Tristan Easton, the Senior Project Manager for SUNCASA and IISD.

“Kigali is well on track to achieve the project’s ambitious goal of planting 3 million indigenous trees by 2026.”

The SUNCASA project reflects Canada’s commitment to climate action and sustainable development, as emphasized by Julie Crowley, the High Commissioner for Canada in the Republic of Rwanda.