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GGGI supports mainstreaming Green Growth in Kigali Master Plan Review

On September 07, 2018, the Global Green Growth Institute Rwanda supported the City of Kigali in a process to review and update the Kigali Master Plan by hosting a Focus Group Session on Green City Development. During the session GGGI elaborated on green growth concepts and strategies relevant to introducing Green Growth in the Kigali Master Plan Review. This conveyed a strong focus on urban environmental productivity within a socially inclusive and feasible approach to Kigali City’s development.

The event was attended by stakeholders working within the urban sector including representatives from the City of Kigali, Rwanda Environmental Management Authority, Rwanda Housing Authority, Ministry of Lands and Forestry, UN-Habitat, Rwanda Green Building Organization, local and international academia, and civil society represented by Youth Groups such as Rwanda Youth Business Forum.

The discussion focused on exploring solutions for improving the Kigali Master Plan adopted in 2013 in order to implement strategic green growth, that will be reflected in the quality of life, sustainable and durable development. Mr Okechukwu Daniel Ogbonnaya, GGGI Rwanda Acting Country Representative presented the GGGI systematic approach for green growth in cities guiding the discussion towards unveiling key opportunities for urban environment related to natural resources protection, urban agriculture, urban climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and applied disaster risk reduction and resilience strategies at the neighborhood level. The main outcomes of the session were compiled as recommendations for more effective consideration of environmentally attractive practices that will promote protection of green spaces and sensitization of the sustainable use of such resources.

Group Discussion on green growth strategies

The opportunity to use the urban wetland network as climate adaptation strategy, green public space and promoting small scale sustainable economic activities were extensively discussed while the stakeholders contributed with valuable input in the process of revising the urban environment strategies of the master plan.
Inputs from stakeholders targeted specific aspects of green growth, UN-Habitat Country Director Catherina Kalisa underlined “all issues related to green growth should be annexed to all sectors identified in the master plan review”, supported by the intervention of Dr. Brigitte Nyirambangutse from GGGI who highlighted the value addition of preserving and enhancing the capacity of urban wetlands and urban forests to contribute to the quality of life of urban dwellers. Contributions from other stakeholders such as the City of Kigali and Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA) supported the importance of regulatory guidance to allow innovative use of green urban space though climate resilient land use principles and techniques that have proven successful in similar conditions, coordinated implementation and monitoring of profit driven activities to ensure the environmental impact on a larger area not only in their immediate vicinity, and the adequate use and design of all urban green spaces of both public and private ownership.

The revision of the Kigali Mater Plan is led by the City of Kigali with support from a private firm Surbana Juroung and it is framed around several focus areas including Integrated Neighborhoods, Economic Development, Urban Green Environment, Urban Planning and Design, Informal Settlements, and much more. Global Green Growth Institute is supporting the master plan revision process with information sharing and expert participation in focused discussions.