The top of Rwanda's environmental regulator has referred to as for an finish to particular person homebuilding, arguing that housing ought to more and more be developed by organised firms to enhance compliance with environmental and building requirements and scale back catastrophe dangers linked to local weather change.
Talking earlier than the Senate Committee on International Affairs, Nationwide Unity and Safety on Tuesday, June 30, Rwanda Setting Administration Authority (REMA) Director Common Juliet Kabera mentioned uncoordinated, piecemeal building makes it tough to implement requirements on drainage, wastewater administration and protected constructing practices.
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“It is vitally onerous for anybody. Even when you gave REMA 1,000 inspectors, it might not be doable to examine each particular person establishing a home and guarantee they meet requirements concerning water channelling,” Kabera mentioned.
She mentioned Rwanda ought to regularly transfer in the direction of organised housing growth as a substitute of permitting households to construct independently.
“The time has come that we cease constructing for ourselves,” she mentioned.
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“We are able to have firms or organised builders establishing for folks as a result of they perceive requirements, geotechnical necessities and the place building can safely happen higher than somebody constructing step-by-step over a number of months.”
Kabera steered the method may start in Kigali earlier than being rolled out to different components of the nation.
“At the very least we begin in Kigali, the place we are saying no person builds individually,” she mentioned.
She famous that coordinated housing growth would make it simpler to implement requirements on drainage techniques, rainwater harvesting, wastewater therapy, air air pollution administration and the usage of building supplies.
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“The second everybody builds for themselves and continues including buildings round their houses, there is no such thing as a means requirements will be assured. Even underground points and environmental dangers can not simply be recognized,” she mentioned.
Drawing classes from Singapore's city growth mannequin, Kabera mentioned Rwanda may benefit from adopting the same method.
“We admire Singapore and be taught so much from it, however that is precisely what Singapore did,” she mentioned.
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“I could have a very good job and consider constructing instantly, however I might moderately save and have a very good home constructed after 5 years than assemble one thing substandard.”
She warned that poor planning usually results in avoidable losses.
“Homes constructed at present may later be demolished. Setting up homes solely to demolish them afterwards may be very counterproductive,” she mentioned.
Kabera mentioned the proposal is a part of REMA’s new strategic plan, which goals to display the environmental, social and financial advantages of better-planned housing growth. The company plans to conduct research and submit suggestions to related establishments.
The dialogue got here as senators reviewed the implementation of measures to forestall and scale back disasters throughout the nation.
Murangwa Ndangiza Hadija, chairperson of the Senate Committee on International Affairs, Nationwide Unity and Safety, recalled that in March the committee met officers from the ministry answerable for emergency administration to evaluate the nation's preparedness following forecasts of heavy rains and robust winds.
She mentioned disasters recorded between January and December 2024 claimed 191 lives and injured 488 folks. They destroyed 128 homes, broken greater than 2,000 others, washed away 1,355 hectares of crops, killed livestock, broken forests, and affected colleges, well being centres, roads, bridges and electrical energy infrastructure.
Regardless of ongoing prevention efforts and coordination amongst establishments, disasters continued in 2025, with fatalities linked to lightning, mining-related incidents, landslides and floods. Greater than 1,800 homes and 1,100 hectares of crops have already been affected this 12 months.
Between January and March 11 alone, disasters claimed 28 lives.
Kabera mentioned local weather change is rising the severity of disasters and highlighted interventions underway, together with local weather impression analysis and the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems.
She cited the restoration of main gullies, together with one in Rwampala that had reached about 14 metres deep and stretched practically three kilometres, making rehabilitation each tough and dear.
She additionally highlighted relocation efforts in high-risk areas, together with the development of a 300-house mannequin village in Muzo Sector, Gakenke District, for households moved from landslide-prone zones.
In the course of the session, senators raised issues about poor drainage techniques and water administration.
Senator Bibiane Mbaye Gahamanyi requested what extra may very well be finished to forestall damaging water flows.
Senator Evode Uwizeyimana argued that investing in catastrophe prevention is cheaper than responding after disasters happen.
He additionally questioned why communities proceed to expertise each flooding and water shortages.
“We face a state of affairs the place water turns into an issue when there’s an excessive amount of of it, and later we face shortage,” he mentioned.
Uwizeyimana famous that some communities across the Volcanoes area expertise flooding in the course of the wet season however face water shortages throughout dry durations, elevating issues about whether or not rainwater is being successfully conserved.
He additionally criticised infrastructure tasks the place roads are constructed with drainage channels that discharge runoff with no clear vacation spot.
“For those who ask the place the water is being directed, the reply is solely ‘someplace in nature’,” he mentioned.
He referred to as for stronger water administration techniques, together with expanded rainwater harvesting, recycling and extra environment friendly use of obtainable water.
