Developing capacity for climate resilient road transport infrastructure [NDF C79]
The specific objectives for the overall project are: i) to improve the level of transport service on the upgraded section and the local population’s living conditions; and ii) build the road maintenance planning and programming capacities of the road administration. The NDF component will increase the capacity of road transport stakeholders in Rwanda to integrate consideration of climate change and disasters into the transport life-cycle, in particular for roads and bridges.
Rwanda
Developing capacity for climate resilient road transport infrastructure
Ref: NDF C79
NDF grant EUR 4.4 million
Project Period: 2016-2020
Partner Agency: African Development Bank (ADB)
Implementing Agency: Rwanda Road Transport Development Agency (RTDA)
Objective
The Goal of the proposed component will be to contribute to increasing Rwanda’ s resilience to the impacts of climate change while improving the standard of living for its citizens. It will do so by seeking to increase the capacity of road transport stakeholders in Rwanda to integrate consideration of climate change and disasters into the transport life cycle, in particular for roads and bridges.
Rwanda will experience increased temperatures and changing rainfall patterns as a result of climate change. In the transport sector, both existing and future infrastructure is susceptible to damage. Increased temperature can increase pavement buckling and changing rainfall patterns can increase landslides, potholes and materials losses to the structures and cause road and bridge failures. Rwanda’s vulnerability to climate change is a cumulative result of multiple influences, most notably its highly mountainous topography, an ecosystem particularly vulnerable to climate change. In addition, torrential rains and floods, particularly in the Northern region, have contributed to erosion and the degradation of forests has damaged soil structure.
To address these problems this component will provide technical assistance to build the knowledge and develop technical and policy tools for the transport sector to integrate climate change as well as other natural disasters into all aspects of the transport life cycle. Opportunities will also be provided to pilot innovative approaches to reduce damages and prevent them from occurring. In addition, increased capacity by the transport sector to contribute to response and recovery efforts when disasters do occur will also improve risk management efforts in the country. Cross-cutting approaches to the component include: environment and social co-benefits and developing human resources through multiple channels. These approaches should ensure the sustainability and scaling-up of the results of the technical assistance.
The following outcomes are expected
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Increased multi-stakeholder knowledge and supporting tools required to integrate climate change adaptation and disaster risk management into the transport sector;
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Enhanced infrastructure protection in right-of-way areas vulnerable to landslides, erosion, intense precipitation and high temperatures with benefits for local populations;
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Increased capacity by transport sector experts for disaster risk management.
Financing
The total project cost estimate is EUR 74.13 million. NDF is providing EUR 4.40 million in grant while AfDB provides a loan of EUR 65.48 million. Government of Rwanda provides EUR 4.25 million.
NDF Contact
Anu Hassinen, Program Manager (anu.hassinen@ndf.int)
