The Ministry of Natural Resources (Minirena) has devised integrated water resources management initiatives to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.

Management of water usage mitigates climate change, pollution, drought, conflicts and water scarcity to future generation, the ministry reasons.

Speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the national water consultative commission, Fatina Mukarubibi, the permanent secretary at Minirena, said that although Rwanda is endowed with many water resources, there was need to harness and preserve them for future generations.

Mukarubibi said despite the availability of these resources, the population pressure has left Rwandans in short supply of clean water, as currently water per capita is 670 cubic metres per annum, which is short of the recommended 1,000 cubic metres.

Mukarubibi says under EDPRSII, clean water must be accessed by everybody in the country and strategies designed to ensure that water production is done in accordance with the intended purpose; be it for domestic use, irrigation, or industrial use.

The activities under the new initiative cover protecting catchment areas, constructing hydropower dams; promoting underground water storage, conserving wetlands through setting up proper drainage systems, and using waste water in gardens, among others.

Water resource exploitation

A report presented at the meeting indicates that exploitation of water resources in the country stands at 2.2 per cent.

At least 330 hydro sites of varying sizes have been built while at least two geo-thermal sites are to be developed as part of the efforts to efficiently exploit the available water resources in the country.

The Ministry of Agriculture has increased irrigated area from 18,000 Ha in 2010 to 29,000 cubic metres currently, and targets 100,000 Ha in 2017. In all, 25 cubic metres of water will be required annually.

To regulate water usage, Vincent de Paul Kabarisa, the in-charge of integrated water resource management, said they have introduced the water users permit to ensure it is used efficiently and protecting environment.

Activities that require such permit include irrigation systems and industries among others.

"There are also other projects financed by the Dutch government to refine water resources from four rivers of Nyabarongo, Sebeya, Muvumba and Mwogo. It involves protecting them from being inundated with sands run away with soil as well as affecting water supply services,” Mukarubibi said.

The report shows that, currently, Rwanda has total renewable water of 6.8 billion cubic metres per annum whereas ground water is estimated at 4.554 BCM per year.

Earlier this year, Cabinet decreed the split of the Energy Water and Sanitation Authority into separate entities to improve efficiency in service delivery.

The result saw the formation of an independent Water and Sanitation Corporation Limited. The agency has been scaling up water distribution in the country, and, in September, moved to set up a water treatment plant near the old Nzove plant to boost supply in the City of Kigali.

The plant will have installed capacity of 25, 000 m3 treated water per day in a bid to fill the water demand gap in the city and country as a whole.

Over 70 per cent of Rwandans have access to clean water and government has set 2017 to ensure universal access to clean water.