Climate and Climate Change in Rwanda
Senior 2 · Geography and Environment
Climate and Climate Change in Rwanda
Lesson 3 of 3
22 min
In early May 2023 extreme rain fell on already soaked hillsides in western and northern Rwanda. Floods and landslides killed at least 130 people, destroyed thousands of homes and cut roads and bridges. Rwanda's weather agency linked the unusual rainfall pattern to climate change. Events like this are why Rwanda treats climate change as a development problem, not only an environmental one.
Mitigation means reducing the causes of climate change, mainly by cutting greenhouse gas emissions or absorbing more CO2. Adaptation means adjusting to the effects so they do less harm.
| Mitigation | Adaptation |
|---|---|
|
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Classify each as mitigation or adaptation, and justify.
The third answer shows why the best responses are often those that do both.
Tip
Memory hook. Mitigation Minimises the cause; Adaptation Adjusts to the effect. In "suggest measures" questions, give some of each and tie them to Rwandan examples.
Solution: any three of: floods and landslides; droughts in the east; unreliable seasons and lower yields; more soil erosion; malaria in higher areas; reduced hydropower; damage to infrastructure.
Solution: mitigation reduces the causes (emissions); adaptation reduces the harm from the effects.
Solution: adaptation: they help the school cope with dry spells.
Solution: mosquitoes and the malaria parasite need warmth; as highland temperatures rise, they can survive at higher altitudes.
Summary
Sources and credits
Rwanda's 2020 emissions target is from its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (a reported figure). The effects list, response table, worked example and practice items are written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
