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Across African cities and globally, nature-based solutions (NBS) and green-gray infrastructure (GGI) interventions are changing the landscape of climate resilience. When done right, these projects can protect people from climate shocks, enhance biodiversity, and improve socio-economic and health outcomes. According to a WRI 2025 report, new NBS projects in sub-Saharan Africa have increased by an average of 15% annually from 2012-2021. Now, the question is how to sustain this momentum and ensure that NBS is integrated into long-term climate resilience planning.

Under its Green-Gray Infrastructure Accelerator, WRI is bringing a cross-sectoral approach to NBS integration and fostering peer learning exchanges across African cities. In Rwanda, WRI has convened cross-sectoral stakeholders to implement ambitious NBS projects for urban resilience at the city scale – restoring or planting 2,407 hectares and over 100,000 trees over two years – under the SUNCASA project. At the same time, building on a national push for climate resilience and green growth, these partnerships have worked to integrate NBS into emerging climate and urbanization plans at city and national scales.

In this webinar, join speakers from the Rwandan government, development agencies, and community groups as they discuss what is needed to move beyond one-off projects to the long-term integration of nature and infrastructure into policy.

Speakers

  • Gisele Mpano UMUHOZA, M&E Specialist, Association des Veuves du Génocide (AVEGA)
  • Fred Mugisha, National Technical Advisor - Urban Planner, Enabel
  • Emmanuel MPIMUYE MUNYAMAHORO, Coordinator- Kigali Informal Settlement Upgrading Program, Agence Française de Développement (AFD)

This webinar is part of WRI Africa’s Green-Gray Infrastructure Accelerator Webinar Series, which draws on the experience of Cities4Forests, Urban Water Resilience, and partners from across the continent to illuminate best practices for planning, financing, implementing and institutionalizing natured-based solutions for urban climate resilience. 

This includes work under the SUNCASA project with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), which advances gender‑responsive, socially inclusive NBS in Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), Kigali (Rwanda), and Johannesburg (South Africa), strengthening community resilience to flash floods, landslides, heat, and water scarcity.

Watch the recordings of our previous webinars on inclusive implementation of NBS here and here; and our webinar on urban greening policy here (English | French).

This project is supported by Global Affairs Canada, the Caterpillar Foundation, and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).