Rwanda National Adaptation Programmes of Action to Climate Change (NAPA) is articulated on six priority adaptation options to climate change which include:
- An Integrated Water Resource Management – IWRM;
- Setting up an information systems to early warning of hydro-agro meteorological system and rapid intervention mechanisms;
- Promotion of non-agricultural income generating activities;
- Promotion of intensive agro-pastoral activities;
- Introduction of species resisting to environmental conditions;
- Development of firewood alternative sources of energy.
From these priority options, 7 high priority projects, hence urgent and immediate, have been selected and their profiles developed. These projects are prepared and identified by direct responses and cross-cutting positive impacts they target once implemented to improve the adaptation capacity of the populations and vulnerable sectors due to climate change and contribute to reinforcing the resilience of highly fragile ecosystems. They are centred on:
- Land conservation and protection against erosion and floods at the level of Districts of vulnerable regions to climate change;
- Establish the mastering hydro meteorological information and early warning systems to control extreme phenomena due to climate change: - Installation and rehabilitation of hydrological and meteorological stations;
- Development of irrigated areas by gravity water systems from perennial streams and rivers in often vulnerable zones to prolonged droughts;
- Support Districts of vulnerable regions to climate change in planning and implementing measures and techniques related to conservation and water harvesting and intensive agriculture, and promoting existing and new resistant varieties of crops adapted to different bioclimatic soil.
- Increase adaptive capacity of grouped habitat “Imidugudu” located in vulnerable regions to climate change by the improvement of drinking water, sanitation and alternative energy services, and the promotion of non agricultural jobs.
- Increase food and medicine modes of distribution to respond to extreme climate change and sensitize to stocking and conservation of agriculture products;
- Preparation and implementation of woody combustible substitution national strategy to combat the deforestation and erosion as well.