RWA/028
Sustainable forestry and efficient renewable energy for improved livelihood (SFERE)

Rwanda faces climatic challenges, leading to severe weather events like landslides and floods in the Northern and Western Provinces, and droughts in the Eastern Province. The situation is exacerbated by soil erosion, resulting from unsustainable farming practices and forest degradation. The demand for solid biomass as cooking energy is increasing and, cannot be met by current biomass production.

The Sustainable forestry and efficient renewable energy for improved livelihood (SFERE) project aims to strengthen the resilience of forest landscapes and dependent communities to climate change in selected districts of Northwestern and in Eastern Rwanda.

The specific objective is to improve livelihoods by increasing sustainable biomass production for cooking, utilising improved cookstoves, and strengthening value chains.  

The project is structured along three key result areas:  

1. restoration and sustainable management of forest plantations for biomass production through community engaged Private Forest Management Units (PFMUs); 
2. increased urban and peri-urban use of improved cookstoves and sustainable biomass; 
3. increased and diversified income, better value chain connections for smallholder PFMU farmers. 

The project strategy focuses on capacity building, establishing PFMUs, restoring plantations, strengthening biomass and cookstove private actors, promoting agroforestry, and facilitating financial access. The key actors are the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Infrastructure and their operational agencies, in particular the Rwanda Forestry Authority, as well as district authorities. The project also set partnerships with civil society and private sector organisations.