Environment Impact Assessment

The Government of Rwanda takes environmental protection very seriously and has taken significant steps to ensure a balance between economic development and environmental protection, as well as to prevent environmental degradation. Notable among the measure taken is the ban of manufacturing and use of polythene bags. The Government has established a clear legal and institutional framework for environmental protection. Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA) is the principal agency responsible for the management of the environment in Rwanda and coordinates, monitors and supervises all activities in this field.

In addition, projects that affect the environment are subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prior to obtaining authorization for their implementation. Before commencing implementation of business projects, investors are required to cross-check whether their projects are required to undergo an EIA. Applications for EIA certificate should be addressed to RDB.

What is Environmental Impact Assessment?

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is defined as a systematic process to predict, identify, and evaluate the environmental effects of proposed actions and projects. The process is used to prevent and mitigate adverse impacts, enhance positive impacts and assist the rational use of natural resources to maximize the benefit of socio-economic development projects and ensuring sustainable development.

What are the economic benefits of EIA process?

Once adverse impacts are identified from the proposed project, advance corrective measures can be incorporated into the project which helps developers to minimize environmental risks and financial costs. However, options are considered for the projects where damage is irreversible to assist developers to invest in profit making ventures which would have been lost due to environmental problems. The process ensures financially and economically efficient projects with guarantee to attain long term profits.

Which projects require EIA?

Projects with identified adverse impacts on environment call for a full EIA process for mitigation measures and thus the Ministerial Order N°004/2008 of 15/08/2008 establishing the list of works, activities and projects that have to undertake an environmental impact assessment highlights some projects as follows; construction and repair of international and national roads, large bridges, industries, factories, hydro-dams and electrical lines, public dams for water conservation, rain water harvesting for agricultural activities and artificial lakes, large hotels public building which accommodate more than one hundred daily, extraction of mines and public land fills among others.

Why carry out EIA process?

Carrying out EIA process enables implementation of environmental safeguards to mitigate significant impacts caused by execution of projects which avoids ecological damage and large-scale irreversible loss of natural resources.
However, various projects have different level damage or pollution to the environment depending on their activities, size and products among others.

Who meets the cost of EIA?

Upon the submission of the project, a developer is required to pay for an administrative fee to the environmental fund (FONERWA) to be determined by a percentage of the estimated cost of the investment as stipulated in the article of 69 of the Organic Law (No. /04/2005 of 08/04/2005, determining the modalities of protection, conservation and promotion of environment in RDA. This exercise, however, has not been operational because the Ministerial decree (order) has not been enacted as yet. EIA process is not time wasting or expensive but rather a planning tool for long term investments derived from equitable use of natural resources upon which people highly rely on for survival.

	Time limit	Cost
Environmental Compliance:
- Project brief checklist	Immediate	Free
- Site visit and issuance of Terms of reference	2 weeks	Free
- EIA report review and issuance of EIA Certificate	20 days	Free