The head of Rwanda's environmental regulator has called for an end to individual homebuilding, arguing that housing should increasingly be developed by organised companies to improve compliance with environmental and construction standards and reduce disaster risks linked to climate change.
Speaking before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Unity and Security on Tuesday, June 30, Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) Director General Juliet Kabera said uncoordinated, piecemeal construction makes it difficult to enforce standards on drainage, wastewater management and safe building practices.
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"It is very hard for anyone. Even if you gave REMA 1,000 inspectors, it would not be possible to inspect every individual constructing a house and ensure they meet standards regarding water channelling," Kabera said.
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She said Rwanda should gradually move towards organised housing development instead of allowing households to build independently.
"The time has come that we stop building for ourselves," she said.
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"We can have companies or organised developers constructing for people because they understand standards, geotechnical requirements and where construction can safely take place better than someone building step by step over several months."
Kabera suggested the approach could begin in Kigali before being rolled out to other parts of the country.
"At least we start in Kigali, where we say nobody builds individually," she said.
She noted that coordinated housing development would make it easier to enforce standards on drainage systems, rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, air pollution management and the use of construction materials.
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"The moment everyone builds for themselves and continues adding structures around their homes, there is no way standards can be guaranteed. Even underground issues and environmental risks cannot easily be identified," she said.
Drawing lessons from Singapore's urban development model, Kabera said Rwanda could benefit from adopting a similar approach.
"We admire Singapore and learn a lot from it, but this is exactly what Singapore did," she said.
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"I may have a good job and think of building immediately, but I would rather save and have a good house built after five years than construct something substandard."
She warned that poor planning often leads to avoidable losses.
"Houses built today could later be demolished. Constructing houses only to demolish them afterwards is very counterproductive," she said.
Kabera said the proposal is part of REMA's new strategic plan, which aims to demonstrate the environmental, social and economic benefits of better-planned housing development. The agency plans to conduct studies and submit recommendations to relevant institutions.
The discussion came as senators reviewed the implementation of measures to prevent and reduce disasters across the country.
Murangwa Ndangiza Hadija, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Unity and Security, recalled that in March the committee met officials from the ministry in charge of emergency management to assess the country's preparedness following forecasts of heavy rains and strong winds.
She said disasters recorded between January and December 2024 claimed 191 lives and injured 488 people. They destroyed 128 houses, damaged more than 2,000 others, washed away 1,355 hectares of crops, killed livestock, damaged forests, and affected schools, health centres, roads, bridges and electricity infrastructure.
Despite ongoing prevention efforts and coordination among institutions, disasters continued in 2025, with fatalities linked to lightning, mining-related incidents, landslides and floods. More than 1,800 houses and 1,100 hectares of crops have already been affected this year.
Between January and March 11 alone, disasters claimed 28 lives.
Kabera said climate change is increasing the severity of disasters and highlighted interventions underway, including climate impact research and the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems.
She cited the restoration of major gullies, including one in Rwampala that had reached about 14 metres deep and stretched nearly three kilometres, making rehabilitation both difficult and costly.
She also highlighted relocation efforts in high-risk areas, including the construction of a 300-house model village in Muzo Sector, Gakenke District, for families moved from landslide-prone zones.
During the session, senators raised concerns about poor drainage systems and water management.
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Senator Bibiane Mbaye Gahamanyi asked what more could be done to prevent destructive water flows.
Senator Evode Uwizeyimana argued that investing in disaster prevention is more cost-effective than responding after disasters occur.
He also questioned why communities continue to experience both flooding and water shortages.
"We face a situation where water becomes a problem when there is too much of it, and later we face scarcity," he said.
Uwizeyimana noted that some communities around the Volcanoes region experience flooding during the rainy season but face water shortages during dry periods, raising concerns about whether rainwater is being effectively conserved.
He also criticised infrastructure projects where roads are built with drainage channels that discharge runoff without a clear destination.
"If you ask where the water is being directed, the answer is simply 'somewhere in nature'," he said.
He called for stronger water management systems, including expanded rainwater harvesting, recycling and more efficient use of available water.
