Rwanda is a small country with a large population that depends on woody biomass as primary source of
energy. The wood resources are limited and the demand for woodfuels is high, and increasing, as it is clear
that in the short and medium term woodfuels will remain the only affordable fuel for the majority of
Rwandese population. Kigali plays a dominant role in the national wood energy context, with a demand
for charcoal that covers some 60% of the entire national requirement for such commodity. There is also
no doubt that this great demand for fuelwood and charcoal, embodied by the constant flow of charcoal
into Kigali, exerts a considerable pressure on the wood resources of the country, giving rise to serious and
widespread concern about the sustainability of supply.
Securing essential energy levels and at the same time protecting the environment and the productive
capacity of forest plantations, natural vegetations and farmlands represents a major planning challenge and
the Ministry of Natural Resources, in the framework of Vision 2020 and of the National Forestry Policy,
decided to launch the elaboration of the Masterplan for the Supply of Charcoal and Fuelwood of Kigali.
This study was carried out in the framework of the Support Program to the Development of the Forestry
Sector (PAREF.be2), supported by Belgium/Rwanda (2012-2015), under authority of the Rwanda Natural
Resources Authority (RNRA), Department of Forestry and Nature Conservation (DFNC). Technical
assistance was provided by Agriconsulting S.p.A.