RE

The annual progress reviews for Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper I (PRSP I) consistently highlighted inadequacies in integration of environment into national development planning processes. In the face of growing evidence of the role of environment and natural resources in sustainable development, the Government of Rwanda (GoR) sought partnership to promote the integration of environment into national planning processes and economic development strategies. These efforts were concretized at a national workshop held in Gisenyi in February 2005 on “Integrating Environment Issues and Rio Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) into Poverty Reduction Policy and Planning”. At the workshop, the Government of Rwanda (GoR) established partnership with UNDP/UNEP Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI) to develop a strategy to mainstream environment into national development strategies and sectoral plans. This led to the launch of the Rwanda Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI) programme to support the second generation of PRSP II known as the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). The Rwanda PEI was envisaged to be implemented in two phases over a 4-year period. Phase