Kinyarwanda is an AI-drafted translation, provisional pending native and partner review.
Restoration in Kigali’s watershed
SUNCASA works on upstream micro-catchments in the lower Nyabarongo watershed. Explore the city context, the named areas and how restoration is intended to work.
Kigali’s districts and named intervention areas
Select a district for geographic context. The outlines are administrative boundaries with a 2012 reference date, not SUNCASA intervention boundaries or flood-risk zones.
geoBoundaries gbOpen · RWA-ADM2-39286606 · 2012 · geoBoundaries · CC BY 4.0 · Three districts selected; geometry simplified by source.
View data table
| District | Reference year | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nyarugenge | 2012 | geoBoundaries gbOpen, CC BY 4.0 |
| Gasabo | 2012 | geoBoundaries gbOpen, CC BY 4.0 |
| Kicukiro | 2012 | geoBoundaries gbOpen, CC BY 4.0 |
How can upstream restoration benefit the city?
A conceptual explanation of the SAVi assessment. This is not a map of intervention boundaries or a measurement of protection achieved.
Restore upstream land
Trees on farms, restored forest and planted river buffers change land cover.
Read the assessmentView data table
| Measure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon storage | 30.86 % change | Restored versus current land-use scenario · 2026-01-20 |
| Habitat quality | 18.9 % change | Restored versus current land-use scenario · 2026-01-20 |
| Average temperature | -0.14 % change | Restored versus current land-use scenario · 2026-01-20 |
| Runoff retention | 5.3 % change | Restored versus current land-use scenario · 2026-01-20 |
What does a hectare of planting mean?
One hectare is 10,000 square metres: a square 100 metres on each side. The SAVi assumptions below describe inputs to a model, not measurements from a real plot.
1 ha = 10,000 m². Tree symbols illustrate planting; they are not a tree count or a planting plan.
Trees per hectare
1,433 trees/haAugust 2025 Kigali workshop
The nutrient figures are base literature assumptions. The assessment reduces uptake per hectare and prices by 50% for tree size and country context; these are not realised nutrient removals.
The maintenance input is stated per tree, not per year. The source separately specifies a 21-year maintenance period.
View data table
| Measure | Value | Unit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trees per hectare | 1433 | trees/ha | August 2025 Kigali workshop · SAVi |
| Planting cost | 1.1 | USD/tree | August 2025 Kigali workshop · SAVi |
| Operation and maintenance cost | 0.52 | USD/tree | August 2025 Kigali workshop · SAVi |
| Time for NbS to mature | 8 | years | August 2025 Kigali workshop · SAVi |
| Nitrogen uptake | 126 | kg/ha/yr | Kim and Isaac 2022 · SAVi |
| Phosphorus uptake | 14 | kg/ha/yr | European Soil Data Centre 2022 · SAVi |
SAVi Appendix Table A1, printed pages 22–24 (PDF pages 33–35) · 2026-01-20
Milestones in the published documents
Explore the programme’s published milestones, from planning workshops to reported progress.
Year two figures published
The publication reports 1,654 hectares of agroforestry established and 1,267,559 trees and buffer plants planted in Kigali by the end of year two.
Publication date: 2026-04-10
Read sourceView all milestones
| Event date | Milestone | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2024 | First SAVi workshop, Kigali The SAVi assessment reports a first Kigali workshop in June 2024. The workshops formed part of the assessment process. | Read source |
| 26 Oct 2024 | #IgitiCyanjye launch on Umuganda, ~9,200 trees The #IgitiCyanjye campaign began during Umuganda on 26 October 2024, with approximately 9,200 trees planted at the launch. | Read source |
| 29 Nov 2024 | Launch ceremony, Marriott Hotel Kigali The November 2024 announcement set out the Kigali project’s restoration plans and named its delivery partners. It announced a launch ceremony for 29 November. | Read source |
| 10–12 Feb 2025 | First peer learning event, Kigali (Feb 10-12) The first peer-learning event brought the three SUNCASA cities together in Kigali to exchange lessons on flood-risk reduction and gender equality. | Read source |
| 7 Mar 2025 | Year one progress review The review reported year-one activity, including 32,000 fruit trees distributed to households and 31,900 trees planted in gullies in Kigali. | Read source |
| Aug 2025 | Second SAVi workshop, Kigali The SAVi assessment reports a second Kigali workshop in August 2025, before publication of the final assessment. | Read source |
| 20 Jan 2026 | SAVi assessment published IISD published the assessment comparing current and restored land-use scenarios and modelling costs and benefits over 2025–2050. | Read source |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Childcare programme success story The story describes nursery employment and the childcare programme: around 30 women working across two nurseries and 20 parents identified for the programme. | Read source |
| 10 Apr 2026 | Year two figures published The publication reports 1,654 hectares of agroforestry established and 1,267,559 trees and buffer plants planted in Kigali by the end of year two. | Read source |
| 31 Dec 2026 | Project end (Global Affairs Canada) Global Affairs Canada lists 31 December 2026 as the programme end date. This is a planned administrative date, not a report of completion. | Read source |