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Paper short abstract

Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, this paper examines how climate-oriented urban transformation in Kigali intersects with land governance, livelihood restructuring, and questions of environmental justice.

Paper long abstract

African cities are increasingly positioned at the forefront of global climate action debates, yet the justice implications of urban climate interventions remain insufficiently examined. Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, is frequently celebrated as a model of environmentally progressive urban governance, with initiatives such as wetland restoration, green infrastructure development, and environmentally oriented spatial planning presented as pathways toward climate-resilient urban futures. However, these transformations also raise critical questions about the social and distributive dimensions of climate justice. This paper examines how climate-oriented urban transformation in Kigali intersects with land governance, livelihood restructuring, and questions of environmental justice. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork, stakeholder interviews, and policy analysis conducted between 2019 and 2024, the study investigates how large-scale urban redevelopment and environmental protection initiatives – often justified in the name of climate resilience – reshape access to land, housing, and livelihood opportunities for urban residents. While these interventions contribute to important environmental objectives, they may also generate new forms of socio-spatial inequality through processes of land expropriation, displacement, and the reconfiguration of informal livelihoods. By situating Kigali within broader debates on climate justice and African urban futures, the paper argues that climate action in rapidly urbanising contexts must be evaluated not only through environmental outcomes but also through its procedural, distributive, and generational justice implications. The analysis highlights the need for climate governance frameworks that place local livelihoods, social equity, and inclusive participation at the centre of Africa’s emerging pathways toward sustainable urban transformation.