University researchers asked to help combat climate change

As part of Rwanda’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, higher education and environmental partners in the country have joined forces and called on researchers to come up with proposals that could inform policy decisions about long-term climate change adaptation.

On 5 December 2021, the University of Rwanda, the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and the Higher Education Council launched a programme aimed at informing long-term planning for climate change adaptation, which is the process of adjusting to current or expected climate change effects.

According to officials from REMA, researchers from the University of Rwanda may submit research proposals in areas such as soil management and agroforestry, soil and water engineering.

Other areas of interest include renewable energy, water resources and environmental management as well as biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.

Masters scholarships are expected to cover tuition, research and a publication fee as well as supervisor incentives, living allowances and funding for field data collection. Details about the application process will be released in due course.

Policies based on research

Juliet Kabera, the director general of REMA, said the programme seeks to enable the country to make informed policy decisions about long-term climate change adaptation and forge new partnerships with research institutions.

“Ecosystem-based adaptation approaches promote the integrated management of land, water and living resources in a way that achieves sustainable use and delivers equitable benefits for people and nature,” she said.

“The [recently launched] research programme will empower 25 scholars and 25 lecturers to conduct research on nature-based solutions that harness biodiversity and ecosystem services to reduce Rwanda’s vulnerability and build resilience to climate change,” she added.

She said that the programme is an outcome of a memorandum of understanding between REMA, the university and the Higher Education Council.

Building capacity

Through the unique partnership, the institutions are working together to build the capacity of masters students to conduct research on ecosystem-based adaptation, and support researchers in the field.

It also seeks to avail information to practitioners, policy-makers and other stakeholders, and forge long-term partnerships between government, academic and research institutions.

According to Professor Alexandre Lyambabaje, the vice-chancellor of the University of Rwanda, long-term research is critical when dealing with long-term issues.

“Climate change is a long-term process and has taken place over decades. By investing in research over a long period, we will be better placed to respond and adapt to the changes we experience today and into the future,” said Lyambabaje.

Speaking during the launch of the project, Dr Uwamariya Valentine, the minister of education, talked about the growth in ecosystem services research and encouraged academia and industry to work together.

“Research on ecosystem services has grown into a major academic field, based on various academic disciplines, perspectives and research approaches. I encourage initiatives that are significant in academia and [have] industry linkages,” she said.

Rwanda has been working on several fronts to mitigate climate change, including setting a target of becoming a climate-resilient and carbon-neutral economy by 2050.

In May 2020, Rwanda came up with a revised climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 38% by 2030. Rwanda is also investing heavily in e-mobility, sustainable urbanisation, climate-smart agriculture and renewable energy.

Initiatives to support academia to conduct research towards climate resilience have increased. Different universities, including private institutions, have received grants from the National Council for Science and Technology to conduct research on climate change effect and climate change adaptation, among others.