Rwanda’s Cabinet approved a draft law seeking parliamentary ratification of a €65 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance flood protection and environmental restoration.
The decision was announced in a communiqué issued by the Office of the Prime Minister following a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame on October 26, 2026.
The loan agreement was signed in August 2026, but Cabinet’s latest decision only approved the draft ratification law. The agreement still requires parliamentary consideration before ratification can be completed.
The financing is intended to support the Volcanoes Community Resilience Project, which aims to reduce the impact of floods, landslides and soil erosion through flood-control infrastructure, watershed restoration and improved land management.
According to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, the project is expected to benefit more than 2.3 million people across eight districts: Gakenke, Burera, Musanze, Nyabihu, Rubavu, Rutsiro, Ngororero and Muhanga.
The interventions are intended to protect agricultural land, reduce damage to infrastructure and improve livelihoods in communities that have repeatedly suffered losses from natural disasters.
The loan agreement was valued at approximately Rwf109.7 billion when signed in August.
According to the Rwanda Water Resources Board, the project has been under implementation since January 2024 and is scheduled to continue through December 2028.
The initiative has also received support from other development partners. In October 2023, the World Bank announced $50 million in financing, alongside a $12 million grant from the Global Partnership for Sustainable and Resilient Landscapes, to support flood-risk reduction and environmental restoration.
The project includes an early-warning system designed to improve flood forecasting and help communities prepare for possible disasters.
The Rwanda Water Resources Board has reported installing three river-monitoring stations in the Volcanoes region as part of a planned network of 15 stations to collect real-time data on water levels and flows.
The project is coordinated by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Rwanda Water Resources Board and other government institutions.
Elie GATETE
RADIOTV10