Implementation | PANORAMA

Strengthening Disaster Preparedness

Through the establishment of a dedicated emergency management task force, the refinement of contingency plans, the development of a robust disaster information communication framework, and the implementation of regular drills, the community's capacity for disaster preparedness and response has been significantly strengthened.

A comprehensive community emergency management map was developed, delineating critical infrastructure such as roads, residential buildings, and waterways. The map also identifies the locations of vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, pregnant women, and individuals with disabilities, while designating safe evacuation routes to provide a clear and actionable foundation for disaster response.

Special attention was given to addressing the specific needs of women during disasters. Preparedness measures included ensuring an adequate stockpile of sanitary products, while drills incorporated protocols to safeguard the mobility and security of women and girls, with a particular focus on mitigating risks of gender-based violence.

Strong demand due to local disaster risks, motivating community engagement.
Capacity-building for local responders, ensuring sustainability of preparedness measures.

Climate risk assessments should identify specific local hazards and community needs, with support from professional teams to institutionalize disaster management.

Implementation

Local

Storytelling for Climate Awareness

Community women leaders engage villagers through climate storytelling

Ruili Women and Children Development Center

Women leaders lead a cleanup campaign under the theme “Prevent Mosquito Breeding, Stop Disease Transmission.”

Ruili Women and Children Development Center

The “Grandmothers’ Climate Stories” series combined group study, film screenings, and lectures with traditional ethnic ecological values, such as reverence for nature.

Around the theme of “Women and Climate,” women leaders shared the impacts of climate change on women’s health, raised awareness about the link between pesticide overuse and breast cancer risks, promoted the use of protective equipment, and encouraged reduced pesticide use. In addition, women carried out public education on climate-related infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, and chikungunya, organizing 3–5 person teams to visit households, guide villagers in clearing standing water to curb mosquito breeding, and teach methods and knowledge for disease prevention.

Social support: Traditional authorities such as village elders and local organizations, together with “cultural codes” like ethnic languages, oral literature (folk songs and proverbs), which were used for dissemination to ensure the information was trusted and effectively received.

Leveraging indigenous ecological wisdom: Explore and respect the traditional ecological concepts of ethnic groups (such as the belief in sacred mountains and the wisdom of crop rotation). Engage in a dialogue and integration with modern climate knowledge to endow the advocacy content with a sense of cultural identity.
Successful climate advocacy in ethnic minority rural communities depends on aligning climate adaptation measures with livelihood improvement, such as promoting resilient crops and eco-tourism.

Implementation

Local

Explore sustainable cultivation methods

Members of the Mutual Learning Green Farming Cooperative

Ruili Women and Children Development Center

Yang Ruidong (right) showed the members of the cooperative the water-saving irrigation system

Ruili Women and Children Development Center

The project introduced water-saving technologies, such as drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers, and established demonstration households. A women’s cooperative for sustainable agriculture was created, supported by RMB 10,000 seed funding and small individual contributions (RMB 200 per household). Members jointly purchased seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides to reduce costs.

Monthly peer learning sessions and problem-solving discussions.
Field visits where women host peers to observe and exchange practices.

Family support is crucial—men take over household duties when women attend training, enabling their sustained participation.

Implementation

Local

Encourage residents’ low-carbon behaviors

Develop a low-carbon lifestyle and carbon reduction verification standard focused on repairing used items. Establish a “low-carbon credits” system to incentivize participation and allow residents to redeem community services. Specifically, residents earn carbon reduction credits by repairing old items, which can then be redeemed with community partners for benefits such as reduced hospital registration fees, and discounted grocery products or repair materials. This approach promotes resident engagement and encourages sustainable living practices.

Participation of enterprises, with residents benefiting from credit redemption, such as property fee deductions or discounts on daily necessities.
Enterprise involvements: Brand companies pursue product recycling and sustainable development solutions.

Resource integration and technical empowerment: Communities collaborate with repair companies and environmental organizations to establish a “carbon accounting model” that quantifies carbon reductions from repairs (e.g., repairing one appliance reduces 0.5 kg of carbon emissions). Clear data allows residents to see the environmental impact instantly, boosting participation.
Digital platforms: A community-based app digitalizes the “repair → credits → redemption” process, allowing residents to earn points that can be redeemed for repair services, health checks, and other in-demand services.

Implementation

Documentation and dissemination of results

Local

Subnational

Provide comprehensive, routine repair services

Residents with repair needs can submit requests through community staff, a repair hotline, or a convenient online app. Services primarily target the elderly, with the repair hotline serving as the main point of contact. Call center staff assign work orders based on the locations of residents and technicians, typically within a 3-kilometer service radius.

Focusing on the elderly as the core service group and addressing their frequent repair needs (e.g., plumbing, electrical systems, household appliances).

Strengthen collaboration with universities and primary/secondary schools: Form campus repair clubs, supported by social organizations for guidance, coordination, and training.
Leverage digital tools and standardization: the app and hotline services enable “one-click repair requests,” reducing response times.
Establish standardized service processes (e.g., work order assignment, on-site assessment, satisfaction follow-up) to improve service consistency.

Implementation

Local

Subnational

Identify and cultivate community technicians, enhance repair skills, and strengthen service awareness through training

Identify skilled technicians within communities and organize them into repair and public outreach volunteer teams. Establish a structured, tiered training system: new staff learn basic operational standards, technical experts focus on repair techniques, and team leaders develop project management skills. Partner with vocational schools and enterprises to create “training hub” that share faculty resources and equipment. Build a “cloud-based repair service platform” to integrate training resources with service demand data.

Policy support: Governments emphasize community capacity building and encourage the mobilization of local technicians through initiatives such as community technician support programs, providing funding and policy incentives.
Alignment with community needs: Growing demand from residents for convenient repair services motivates the formation of repair teams.
Resource integration: Communities can mobilize internal and external resources, partnering with social organizations and enterprises to offer training and other support for repair technicians.

Collaborating with multiple stakeholders helps pool resources effectively.
designing resident-centered services ensures services meet actual needs.
offering diverse training programs enhances technicians’ skills and service quality.

Implementation

Local

Subnational

Gain Community Access, Build Trust, Understand Needs and Resources, and Joint Promotion

The Project gains access into communities through formal institutional channels and collaborates with the communities to better understand local needs, which informs the service plan design. They leverage community resources to conduct promotional activities and post repair service notices. Service offerings cover home repair such as kitchen and bathroom renovations, plumbing, electrical work, appliance fixes, lock and screen replacement, pipe unclogging, waterproofing, as well as home installations like setting up appliance, faucet, lighting, and toilet.

Community Support: Community staff make visits and hold resident meetings to identify the most common repair needs among seniors, such as plumbing, electrical work, and appliance fixes.
Promotion Platforms: Traditional channels such as community bulletin boards, flyers, and electronic displays are used to post service notices and low-carbon living slogans; online platforms such as WeChat groups and official accounts (subscription-based content channels where users can follow and read posts) are also leveraged to share information.

Hosting public repair events on occasions like Earth Day provides convenient services to residents while raising awareness of the “HandyHeroes” initiative.
Scenario-based promotion can be more effective: Setting up “low-carbon repair zones” in busy areas such as community squares or markets with tangible displays (e.g., upcycled items) enhances residents’ intuitive understanding.
Diversify Content: Integrating case stories (e.g., “upcycling expert sharing”) can increase promotional effectiveness.
Address senior residents’ needs: Since senior residents may have limited online access, it is essential to carry out in-person, one-on-one outreach (e.g., door-to-door distribution of service manuals).

Establishing an inclusive and multi-sectoral taskforce

The CSTF was established in 2015 as a national-level platform to coordinate Rwanda’s response to the Bonn Challenge and improve Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) efforts. It comprised members from 13 government bodies, 8 civil society organizations, 7 development partners, and 7 private sector and research organizations. The taskforce provides a space for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and strategic planning to address key issues such as land degradation, deforestation, erosion, and biodiversity loss.

Strong governmental support from the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Agriculture.
Broad representation of stakeholders across multiple sectors ensures diverse perspectives.
Support from development partners, who have acted as secreteriat to support the political partners

The formation of a dedicated, multi-stakeholder taskforce ensures that FLR efforts are inclusive, coordinated, and aligned with national and international restoration goals.

Implementation

National

Strengthening Disaster Preparedness

Strong demand due to local disaster risks, motivating community engagement.
Capacity-building for local responders, ensuring sustainability of preparedness measures.

Climate risk assessments should identify specific local hazards and community needs, with support from professional teams to institutionalize disaster management.

Implementation

Local

Storytelling for Climate Awareness

Community women leaders engage villagers through climate storytelling

Ruili Women and Children Development Center

Women leaders lead a cleanup campaign under the theme “Prevent Mosquito Breeding, Stop Disease Transmission.”

Ruili Women and Children Development Center

The “Grandmothers’ Climate Stories” series combined group study, film screenings, and lectures with traditional ethnic ecological values, such as reverence for nature.

Leveraging indigenous ecological wisdom: Explore and respect the traditional ecological concepts of ethnic groups (such as the belief in sacred mountains and the wisdom of crop rotation). Engage in a dialogue and integration with modern climate knowledge to endow the advocacy content with a sense of cultural identity.
Successful climate advocacy in ethnic minority rural communities depends on aligning climate adaptation measures with livelihood improvement, such as promoting resilient crops and eco-tourism.

Implementation

Local