About REMA

Rwanda Environment Management Authority

Overview

Under supervision of the Ministry in charge of Environment, Presidential Order N° 033/01 Of 06/05/2022 Governing Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) reserves the legal mandate for national environmental protection, conservation, promotion and overall management, including advisory to the government on all matters pertinent to the environment and climate change.

Mission of REMA

The mission of REMA is to supervise and monitor environmental management and ensure that issues relating to the environment receive attention in all national development plans.

Vision of REMA

All sectors of the Rwandan Society value and undertake sound environmental management and rational use of natural resources in order to contribute to the national aspirations for sustainable development.

Responsibilities of REMA

As stipulated in the Presidential Order N° 033/01 Of 06/05/2022 Governing Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), REMA has the following main responsibilities:

Environmental Policy and Governance

  • Implementing government policy on environmental management.
  • Advising Government on policies, strategies, and legislation related to environmental management, and on the implementation of international conventions on environment and climate change.
  • Setting technical guidelines for environmental conservation, management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
  • Proposing laws, regulations, and standards, and enforcing those relating to the sustainable management of Lake Kivu's resources, while advising Government and users on preserving the integrity of Lake Kivu and its environment.

Monitoring, Research and Reporting

  • Preparing and publishing a State of Environment report for Rwanda every four (4) years.
  • Conducting research and studies on environment and climate change, and publishing the findings.
  • Monitoring and evaluating development programs and projects to ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations at every stage.
  • Coordinating environmental impact assessments, environmental audits, strategic environmental assessments, and other environmental studies, with authority to designate other institutions to examine and approve such studies.
  • Ensuring effective management of research and monitoring data.

Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management

  • Establishing measures to prevent and mitigate climate change and support adaptation to its effects.
  • Contributing to disaster preparedness, participating in action plans and strategies to prevent hazards that degrade the environment, and proposing remedial measures when disasters occur.
  • Proposing and supporting an early warning system for geo-hazards in Lake Kivu and its surrounding areas.

Technical Support & Knowledge Sharing

  • Advising and providing technical support to institutions engaged in natural resources management and environmental conservation.
  • Preparing, publishing, and disseminating manuals, guidelines, and legal instruments to reduce environmental degradation.

Regional Cooperation

  • Strengthening cooperation between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo — as well as other organizations with a similar mandate — on the safe and sustainable management of Lake Kivu.

REMA Quality Management System Policy Statement

The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) is committed to ensuring effective environmental governance, the sustainable management of natural resources and the provision of expert guidance on environmental and climate change matters in order to meet or exceed community needs and expectations. 

We are dedicated to meeting interested parties’ requirements through transparent communication and collaborative partnerships. We also committed to complying with all applicable legal and regulatory frameworks and adhering to ratified multilateral environmental agreements and best practices. 

REMA is again committed to continuously improving its Quality Management System (QMS), aligned with RS ISO 9001:2015, to enhance operational efficiency, stakeholder engagement and quality service delivery. We proactively manage risks and opportunities to meet functional quality objectives and ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of Rwanda's environment. Furthermore, REMA prioritizes innovation to tackle environmental challenges and improve its overall environmental performance.

This policy reflects our consistent dedication to maintaining the highest standards of environmental management, ensuring the well-being of current and future generations. 

REMA Quality Management System Scope

The scope of REMA’s Quality Management System (QMS) covers all activities, processes and services necessary for its mandate of environmental protection, conservation, promotion and overall management, including advisory to the government on all matters pertinent to the environment and climate change.

This ensures compliance with policies, legal, regulatory and interested parties’ requirements while promoting environmental sustainability, resilience to climate change impacts and resources efficiency.

REMA's QMS scope is applied to the following processes:

  • Environmental governance: Policy implementation, enforcement of laws, regulations and guidelines, compliance to the ratified international protocols and treaties

  • Environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) and Environmental audits: Ensuring sustainable project development and implementation while complying with environmental protection guidelines.

  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation: advisory to the government on strategies for resilience focusing on reduction of GHG emissions, adaptation planning and climate change reporting.

  • Waste and pollution management: Control of environmental pollution and ensuring chemical and waste management.

  • Biodiversity conservation: Protecting Rwanda’s ecosystems, forests and natural resources while ensuring access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing mechanisms.

  • Environmental education: Fostering a culture of environmental responsibility through awareness, education, stakeholder engagement and community-driven development initiatives.

  • Environmental and climate change mainstreaming: Integrating environmental and climate change activities into the plans and budgets of all development sectors and Districts, and engaging the private sector to foster environmental sustainability and climate resilience initiatives. 

  • Lake Kivu monitoring: assessment of the impact of methane gas extraction activities on lake stability and its ecosystem.

The system is implemented across all REMA’s operations at Kigali headquarters and its operational processes at Rubavu office. 

All applicable RS ISO 9001:2015 Standard requirements are included, with no exclusions. The QMS supports process efficiency, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement in service delivery. 

REMA Quality Management System Objectives 

  • Achieve an average customer satisfaction score of 90% or higher on feedback surveys related to REMA services by end of 2026.

  • Reduce the average service delivery time for responding to customer requests to 15 working days from the date of request receipt by June 2026.

  • Reduce the number of non-conformities identified during internal QMS audits by 20% annually, starting by July 2025.

  • Conduct at least 2 awareness raising sessions per year on REMA's key functions, including compliance, targeting diverse Rwandan community groups (e.g., local leaders, businesses, schools and the general public) to reach a minimum of 100 participants by the end of each year starting July 2025.

  • Increase awareness on Rwanda’s environmental governance score by 15% by the end of 2026, based on an independent assessment compared to the 2025 baseline.

  • Achieve a 85% reliability rate for data collected from Lake Kivu monitoring equipment, air quality monitoring stations and noise pollution monitors as demonstrated by successful completion of calibration and maintenance schedules by December 31, 2025, and annually thereafter.

  • Ensure that 85% of development programs and projects subject to ESIA requirements are visited to assess compliance with environmental laws, regulations, standards and guidelines during their preparation, implementation and operation phases, as verified through REMA's monitoring and evaluation activities, by December 31, 2026.

  • Publish the State of Environment Report for Rwanda by the deadline specified every four years, with all chapters completed and peer-reviewed by internal and external experts by the due date starting in 2027.

  • Increase Rwanda's active participation and implementation of ratified multilateral environmental agreements by ensuring that REMA representatives attend at least 80% of scheduled events and contribute to discussions annually, starting in January 2026.

  • Implement climate resilience projects in at least 5 priority districts by June, 2026, as evidenced by documented action plans and allocated resources

  • Ensure timely submission of the National Determined Contributions (NDC) implementation progress reports, Biannual Transparency Report(BTR) and National Communication (NC) by 100% starting from January 2026.