Environment &
Natural Resources Management

Sustainable management of environmental and natural resources is critical to economic development, climate resilience, and ecosystem integrity across Southern and East Africa. The region faces increasing pressure from deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, pollution, and climate change—threatening livelihoods, food systems, and long-term sustainability.

RMI provides specialised research, evaluation, and advisory services in environmental management, climate change mitigation, water resource management, and natural resource governance. Our clients include government ministries, river basin authorities, environmental agencies, UN bodies (UNDP, UNEP, FAO), development partners, and private sector actors.

Southern and East Africa’s natural resource systems are under growing stress due to rapid population growth, urbanisation, unsustainable land and water use, and weak regulatory enforcement.

Key challenges include:

• Accelerating deforestation and forest degradation
• Increasing human-wildlife conflict
• Water scarcity, watershed degradation, and transboundary water pressures
• Poor waste management and rising pollution levels
• Dependence on biomass and fossil fuels
• Climate variability affecting water availability, agriculture, and ecosystems