New equipment to boost Rwanda’s capacity to enhance greenhouse gas inventory related data on Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) handed over a batch of computers to Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) to facilitate land use and land use change monitoring in Rwanda.
The equipment will also help to increase accuracy of activity data for greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) inventory development activities in the framework of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting.
The thirteen computers (nine desktop computers, nine screens and four laptops) were provided under the FAO project “National Land Monitoring and Information System for a transparent NDC reporting” aimed to develop the capacity of the country, and provide technical support for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) reporting.
The project is currently supporting Rwanda to develop tools that will support the provision of information on a number of aspects that underpin long-term sustainable development, such as increased transparency of forest governance and the effective participation of relevant stakeholders in Forestry and Land Use planning and decision making.
The major areas of the project include, capacity building through trainings and skills building especially on land use and land use change monitoring, and software development and equipment support.
REMA is making use of tools and methodologies adopted under this project including Collect Earth, Google Earth Pro for land use change monitoring ahead of upcoming climate change reporting processes such as that for Rwanda Fourth National Communication.
With the new computer equipment, these software items will be installed and monitoring activities up scaled.
The support is closely related to and builds on training recently conducted for REMA staff and national experts in the land use and land use change sector institutions. The activities under this project will contribute to development of Rwanda’s National measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system and eventually to fulfilling enhanced transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement.
The project will also promote the integration of all the land related NDC activities with particular reference to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) plus initiatives and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs).
The Deputy Director General of REMA, Faustin Munyazikwiye, thanked FAO for the equipment support and emphasized that the computers will be used for enhancing greenhouse emission inventories in preparation of National Communications and Biennial Update Reports, among other purposes.
“The reception of these equipment is the beginning of cooperation under this project as database management and information sharing will follow” said Faustin.
The FAO Representative, Gualbert Gbehounou, notes that the project on National Land Monitoring and Information System for a transparent NDC reporting in each country where it is implemented contributes to (1) strengthening reporting capacity under UNFCCC (2) improving knowledge on climate change mitigation and (3) improving information exchange and South-South cooperation.
FAO appreciates its partnership with REMA, its support and commitment to achieve the objectives of the project.
The FAO project, therefore, is supporting climate change mitigation beyond the forestry sector, with the monitoring systems providing information and feedback on any land-based mitigation activities.
Useful link: fao.org/rwanda/news/detail-events/en/c/1207834/
Contact:
Teopista Mutesi | Communications Specialist | Email: [email protected] OR [email protected]