Regional
Kigali scoops prestigious Bloomberg award: Here’s why it matters
As
Mayor of Kigali, I was delighted to learn that our city had been named as one
of the winners of the 2021 Bloomberg Global Mayor’s Challenge.
Bloomberg
Philanthropies – founded by Michael Bloomberg, the former Mayor of New York
City – launched the challenge to support “the most ambitious ideas developed by
cities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic”. This prize – $1 million – will
help us on our ambitious journey to deliver a high standard of living to every
citizen of Kigali.
Across
the country, Rwandans are already suffering from the effects of climate change.
Unpredictable and severe climate events, such as extreme flooding and drought,
are affecting every aspect of our lives, from health to food security. We
cannot accept to let the lives and livelihoods of our fellow citizens to be put
at risk.
As a
country, we have committed to tackling this threat head on. The environment is
a key pillar of Vision 2050, our overarching national strategy to reach
high-income status by 2050. Urban planning is central to this. With Rwanda’s
fast-developing economy, and growing urban population, sustainable
urbanisation is an absolute prerequisite, not just an option.
The
City of Kigali’s project to transform waste and water management, and tackle
the threats created by increasingly intense rainfall in our capital, reflects
this approach. Like most of the country, Kigali is subject to short, heavy
rainfall. At their most intense, these deluges of rain can cause flooding
across the city.
While
most of the city is built to withstand even the rainiest of days, the
increasing threat of flooding brought by climate change has increased the
threat faced by the city’s most vulnerable.
For
those who live in informal settlements on steep slopes, particularly heavy rain
can cause serious problems. One of these problems is the spread of waste by
flash floods. As well as the obvious damage this does to quality of life, it
can also pose a significant health risk.
The
$1 million grant awarded by Bloomberg Philanthropies will support bold action
to protect 1,405 households in Busanza and Mpazi against these threats. It will
help the City of Kigali to implement circular, nature-based, and tech-enabled
solutions to alleviate the impacts of flooding.
Thanks
to this grant, we will be able to introduce cutting-edge smart waste collection
infrastructure, which harnesses technology to eliminate some of the threats
posed by poor waste management. Furthermore, by harvesting the rainwater, which
causes flooding, we will not only protect settlements but also serve critical
water needs in these areas.
Our
citizens will be deeply involved in the project. We understand that for
successful urban planning, citizens must be active stakeholders. The grant will
also fund training to ensure that the residents of Busanza and Mpazi will take
ownership of the management and usage of these solutions and ensure their
effectiveness.
This
project, therefore, embodies of two of the guiding principles of Rwandan
environmental policy. First, it is nature-based. We are seeking to work with,
rather than against nature – to harness the circular economy and produce
positive outcomes. By creating a more efficient way of harvesting, treating, and
redistributing rainwater, not only will we hedge against flooding risks, but
we’ll also help to create an alternative and affordable water source, reducing
the public’s reliance on commercial water treatment plants.
Secondly, it is citizen first. Rwanda’s transformation over the past 28 years has largely been possible because of the involvement of its people in every step of governance. Government – whether national, regional, or local – is directly answerable to the people.
This
project is, above all else, for the benefit of those households in Busanza and
Mpazi that it serves. Promoting community ownership and management is the key
to its success.
Both
these principles are crucial to the Kigali Master Plan 2020 – which places
green initiatives such as these at the centre of our vision for a future-proof
city. This project is one of many, which will transform the lives of Kigali’s
citizens for the better.
As
Mayor of Kigali, I am truly grateful to Bloomberg Philanthropies for this
award, which is a testament to the hard work of Kigali’s citizens. I am eager
to witness the transformative impact that this grant will have on our
communities in the coming years.
Source:
www.newtimes.co.rw