Building Resilience of Vulnerable Communities to Climate Variability in Rwanda’s Congo Nile Divide through Forest and Landscape Restoration

The Congo-Nile Divide in Rwanda is a biologically rich region with high elevations and natural forests that are crucial to both local wildlife and communities. This area plays a vital role in the broader region’s biodiversity, ecosystem health and water regulation. The Congo-Nile Divide also contributes to key sectors in Rwanda’s economy through eco-tourism and agriculture. However, higher population density, intensive farming, and deforestation now threaten the natural balance of the biosphere. This is leading to less fertile soil and rise of landslide occurrences.   The Congo Nile Divide project’s overarching goal is to improve the climate resilience of vulnerable communities. This will be achieved by expanding and preserving natural forests while strengthening the authorities’ and local people’s capacity for sustainable and climate responsive forest and landscape management.  The project will develop more sustainable management of a total of 250,000 hectares of land in the area. Additionally, it will promote sustainable agroforestry techniques in 2,000 hectares of plantations, reducing local demand for fuelwood and thereby alleviating deforestation pressures. The project will also be instrumental in safeguarding one of Africa’s most biodiverse ecosystems, the Albertine Rift, home to half of Africa’s bird species and 40 per cent of its mammals.   Grants from the GCF Project Preparation Facility (PPF) supported the Accredited Entity in the development of this project's funding proposal.