Musanze

“City leaders in Africa face many converging challenges. As a growing city, Musanze is placing more importance on green development, as we know the role that trees play in improving air quality and reducing extreme heat and noise pollution, amongst other benefits. And as a tourism city – given how close we are to the famous Volcanoes National Park – we are committed to playing our part in tackling the global climate crisis and promoting forest and ecosystem protection.”

—Nuwumuremyi Jeaninne, Mayor, Musanze District, Rwanda

Success Story

In 2020, Musanze District started implementing a green city landscaping project in priority urban areas of the city, through which trees will be planted and urban green spaces established. The city has also planned a reforestation project in Musanze’s peri-urban areas, which will help restore the landscape around the city and ensure the maintenance of many important ecosystem services that improve the livelihoods of the city’s residents. Together with World Resources Institute (WRI), Musanze is participating in the Urban Water Resilience in Africa project, in an effort to help address water challenges that the city faces, and which will support the city to better understand how to protect its source watersheds to secure water supplies and how to use urban green infrastructure to mitigate urban flooding risks.