Nature-based solutions for sustainable urban planning in Rwanda

Technical support and capacity building to integrate innovative approaches into urban policies

Services

• Urban Development
• Floods and Drainage
• Capacity building

Project Description

Enabel, on behalf of Team Europe, is implementing the Urbanization Project in Rwanda in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), the Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA), LODA and several secondary cities. The programme promotes climate-resilient, inclusive and sustainable urban development through integrated planning, green infrastructure, local economic development and community-based approaches.

As part of this programme, Enabel and its partners organised the Forum on Urban and Peri-Urban Nature-Based Solutions in Kigali in February 2026. The Forum brought together government institutions, local authorities, development partners, technical experts and private-sector stakeholders to advance the integration of Nature-Based Solutions into Rwanda’s urban development agenda.

Following the event, our team supported both the technical delivery of the Forum and the preparation of an Urban Nature-Based Solutions Manifesto aimed at translating the Forum’s outcomes into a structured, actionable and forward-looking reference document to guide future policy dialogue, investment and implementation efforts.

Provided services by Urbaconsulting

Support to the Forum on Urban and Peri-Urban Nature-Based Solutions

The Nature-Based Solutions expert:

• Delivered a high-level technical presentation showcasing international NBS experiences and their relevance to the Rwandan context;
• Participated in panel discussions and technical exchange sessions;
• Facilitated four online capacity-building sessions for participating districts under MININFRA;
• Shared technical training materials and practical resources;
• Provided remote coaching to district teams in the preparation of NBS project proposals;
• Produced lessons learned and recommendations from the Forum discussions.

Development of the Urban Nature-Based Solutions Manifesto

The experts provided end-to-end strategic and technical support for the development of the Urban Nature-Based Solutions Manifesto through three successive phases:

Pre-Forum

• Designed the methodology for the capitalisation of Forum outcomes;
• Developed tools and templates to capture commitments, financing opportunities and technical recommendations;
• Defined the structure and strategic framework of the Manifesto.

During the Forum

• Documented and analysed plenary sessions, workshops, thematic discussions and field visits;
• Captured political commitments, donor perspectives and implementation priorities;
• Identified key cross-cutting themes including governance, financing, urban planning integration, GESI and green jobs.

Post-Forum

• Consolidated findings into a structured 30-page Call to action;
• Developed strategic pillars, commitments and implementation pathways;
• Produced a publication-ready document to support policy dialogue and investment mobilisation;
• Prepared executive summaries in English and French, as well as a concise policy brief.

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