Rwanda State of Environment& Outlook report

Rwanda is located in Central Africa between latitudes 1°04’ and 2°51’ south and longitudes 28°45’ and 31°15’ east. Its surface area is 26.338 km2. The average population density in 2002 was 321 people per km2 and the physiological density (people per area of arable land) was in excess of 500 people per km2. The Rwandan relief is hilly and mountainous with an altitude averaging 1700 meters. The highest point on Mt Karisimbi is 4507 meters above sea level.

To date, Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) has produced five State of Environment and Outlook (SOE) reports. The first report in 2009 provided baseline data on the status and trends of the country’s environmental resources. In 2011, the second report took the form of an Atlas depicting environmental change through maps, aerial photographs, and satellite images. The third report in 2013 focused on Kigali City, and in 2015, the fourth report’s special theme was greening agriculture, while the fifth focused on achieving sustainable urbanization in Rwanda. This is the sixth report in the series and aims to provide the required information on the current and future state of Rwanda’s environment based upon the trends and future impact of development.