Climate resettlement and livelihood transformation in Rwanda: the case of Rweru Model Green Village

ABSTRACT

This study investigates whether relocating rural communities from areas exposed to high climatic risks can be transformative and in what ways. Using the Rweru Model Green Village as a case study and drawing on regional political ecology and sustainable livelihoods framework, the study shows that climate-related resettlement as an act of transformation is mediated by development vision and policies, multi-scalar dynamics, and micro-politics. Our semi-structured interviews with households resettled in the Rweru village revealed the double-edged nature of transformation. Resettlement was shown to increase access to modern facilities and social services for two remote island communities. However, new and potentially severe livelihood constraints emerged due to limited natural and financial capital, intra-community inequities, and microclimate variations between the origin and resettlement sites. These findings suggest that resettlement as a form of transformative adaptation requires careful navigation of the interplay between community expectations, government development plans, and shifts in the local, regional, and global political economy.

KEYWORDS:

• climate adaptation
• managed retreat
• planned resettlement
• political ecology
• rural development
• Rwanda

Acknowledgements

The Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management at the University of Rwanda provided administrative support and office space for the research team, May-June, 2021

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This blinding strategy was strongly recommended by the University of Rwanda’s IRB, out of concern for the sensitive nature of the research topic and the security of respondents.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lisa Dale

Lisa Dale is a Lecturer at the Columbia Climate School, where she teaches in the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development, and co-directs the MA Climate + Society program. Trained as a political scientist, her research explores global climate change adaptation policy with a focus on risk and vulnerability in rural communities.

Idowu Ajibade

Idowu Ajibade is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Emory University. She focuses on political ecology and justice-centered analysis of climate adaptation and relocation, specifically exploring how marginalized communities are transforming their livelihoods and socio-cultural landscapes due to climate change impacts and adaptation plans. Her work is dedicated to identifying effective and equitable approaches to these challenges.