Rwanda Air Quality Policies

This document is based on research that UNEP conducted in 2015, in response to Resolution 7 of the UNEA 1. It describes country-
level policies that impact air quality. Triple question marks (???) indicate that information for the section couldn’t be found.
Please review the information, and provide feedback. A Word version of the template can be provided upon request. Corrections and
comments can be emailed to [email protected] and [email protected].
Rwanda Air Quality Policy Matrix
Goals Status Current Policies & Programmes
GENERAL Overall situation with respect to air quality in the National Ambient air quality standards:
OVERVIEW country, including key air quality challenges: ???
Air quality standards and regulations proposed in 2014 by the Rwanda Environment
Air quality monitoring system: ??? Management Authority
fully functional air quality regulation is being implemented
National Air Quality Policy: ???
Air Quality legislation / programmes: ???
Other: ???
REDUCE Industries that have the potential to impact air Emission regulations for industries: ???
EMISSIONS quality:
FROM Small installation’s emissions regulated: (Yes/No) ???
● Cement, agricultural products, small-scale
INDUSTRIE Renewable energy investment promoted: ???
beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods,
S
textiles, cigarettes are the dominant industries in Energy efficiency incentives: (ex: Subsidies, labelling, rebates etc) ???
Rwanda Incentives for clean production and installation of pollution prevention technologies:
● The National Energy Policy has an objective of ensuring energy audits are carried out in
GDP of country: USD 7.7 B in 2013 industries, particularly the energy intensive ones, in order to enhance energy efficiency.
Industries’ share of GDP: 14.8% Actions to ensure compliance with regulations: (monitoring, enforcement, fines etc)
Electricity sources: ???
● 52.4% of the installed electricity generating capacity Other actions at national, sub-national and / or local level to reduce industrial
(57,250 KW in 2010) is generated from fossil fuel; emissions: (can include incentives to move industries to less populated areas here) ???
and 47.2% is generated from hydropower and the
rest 0.4% is generated from various renewable
 sources.

Others
● Most other industrial emissions are associated with
combustion facilities within the industries, e.g.
boilers and standby power generators.
● Currently no data is available on the impacts of
these emissions on human health or the
environment.
● Particulate matter is considered the most important
air pollutant in the country
● Particulate matter concentrations can reach more
than 10 times the WHO recommended
concentrations during both day and night due to the
interactions between meteorology and topography1.
● Growth in industrial emissions is projected to
increase in the coming years
REDUCE Key transport-related air quality challenges: (ex: Vehicle emission limit: (Euro rating) Vehicle emission standards exist (verify) ???
EMISSIONS vehicle growth, old fleet, dirty fuel, poor public Fuel Sulphur content: (in ppm) Diesel sulphur content capped at 50ppm
FROM transport etc) Fuel Lead content Phased out leaded fuel since 2005
TRANSPOR ● Transport is the main source of air pollutants in
T Rwanda Restriction on used car importation: only brand new motorcycles can be imported
● Generally vehicle ownership in Rwanda is low but Actions to expand, improve and promote public transport and mass transit: ???
since 2005 and 2011 the total number of cars has Actions to promote non-motorized transport: (ex: include sidewalks and bike lanes in
grown by 50%
new road projects, car-free areas etc) ???
● Car ownership has been raising while bicycle and
motor cycle ownership has been dropping steadily Other transport-related actions???
● The sector is also an important indirect source of O3
REDUCE Outdoor, open burning: (ex: is it commonly done? Legal framework: (ex: is burning banned?)
EMISSIONS burning what kinds of wastes? etc) ● Regulated by Rwanda Environment Management Authority
FROM

1
Sascha M. Henninger, ‘When Air Quality Becomes Deleterious—A Case Study for Kigali, Rwanda’, Journal of Environmental Protection, 04 (2013), 1–7
<http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jep.2013.48A1001>.
OPEN ● Most municipal solid waste is management better Actions to prevent open burning of municipal waste and / or agricultural waste: ???
BURNING compared to the neighbouring countries
OF WASTE ● Burning of agricultural waste is still a major source
(OUTDOOR) of air pollutants
REDUCE Dominant fuels used for cooking and space Indoor air pollution regulated: (Yes / No) ???
EMISSIONS heating:
FROM Promotion of non-grid / grid electrification: ???
● Wood is the dominant fuels used by the poor for
BIOMASS Promotion of cleaner cooking fuels and clean cook stoves:
cooking accounting for 90% of the energy mix in
BURNING ● Promotion of efficient cook stoves
Rwanda2
(INDOORS)
● Biomass accounts for 85% of energy use in Rwanda Other actions to reduce indoor biomass burning, or to reduce its emissions:
● Kerosene is the main fuel used for lighting. In rural ● Promotion of non-grid electrification
areas.
● No import tax on solar systems
Impact:
● Promotion of renewable energy through feed-in tariffs
● Solid fuel combustion causes an estimated 12,500
● Energy concessions
premature deaths every year3
Others
● Air pollution from indoor sources is the single
largest contributor to the negative health effects of
air pollution in Rwanda
● Adoption rate for clean and efficient cook stove is
around 50%
● Diesel remains the primary fuel for self-generation
in rural areas, and for emergency supply in urban
areas.

2
World Bank, The Little Green Data Book 2015 | Data, 2015.
3
WHO, ‘WHO | Country Profiles of Environmental Burden of Disease’, WHO, 2008
<http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/national/countryprofile/en/#T>.