Illegal and environmentally harmful mining practices, coupled with limited awareness among local authorities, are slowing Rwanda’s efforts to implement climate action measures and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Transparency International Rwanda (TI-Rwanda) has found.
The findings come from research conducted in 10 districts—Gisagara, Ngoma, Ngororero, Nyanza, Nyagatare, Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe, Rusizi, Ruhango and Rutsiro—to assess how local governments are implementing Rwanda’s climate commitments and incorporating them into their development plans.
The findings were presented during a meeting involving TI-Rwanda, its partners and the Ministry of Environment in Kigali on September 10, 2026.
According to the study, climate change measures have been incorporated into district planning at 60.9%, indicating that significant gaps remain in translating national climate commitments into local development plans.
Appolinaire Mupiganyi, Executive Director of TI-Rwanda, said limited understanding among district leaders was one of the factors affecting implementation.
“Generally, districts still lack sufficient awareness for their leadership to understand the importance of integrating these programmes into their plans and helping the country achieve its climate targets,” Mupiganyi said.
Rwanda has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 53% by 2035.
Mupiganyi also identified mining as a major challenge, particularly where operators fail to comply with regulations intended to protect the environment and communities around mining sites.
“There is a significant gap in the mining sector, where some operators do not pay sufficient attention to the measures and regulations governing mining activities and the protection of people’s health,” he said.
The Ministry of Environment said mining operators are required to rehabilitate land affected by their activities. Companies can also be required to provide financial guarantees that can be used to fund rehabilitation if they fail to restore mining sites.
The government is also pursuing measures to reduce emissions by promoting cleaner cooking fuels and encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles.
The TI-Rwanda findings point to a need for stronger implementation of climate policies at the district level, particularly through increased awareness among local authorities and stricter compliance with environmental regulations in the mining sector.
