Water for Growth-Rwanda programme, was launched on Thursday to improve the management of water resources in the country.

The four-year joint initiative between Rwanda and the Netherlands, comes at a time when the government is devising means to mitigate effects of climate change, which includes water resources management challenges, according to Ministry of Natural Resources.

The programme was launched in Muhanga District, where hundreds of residents joined national and international dignitaries to plant bamboo along River Miguramo to combat riverbank erosion.

The launch of Water for Growth Rwanda programme is one of several other activities to mark world water day.

The activities which started on Tuesday, will last for two weeks. 

Fatina Mukarubibi, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Natural Resources, said the programme is expected to protect water resources as an avenue to increased water access.

"Most of our water resources have a challenge of siltation, water bank erosion, among other issues. This increases the cost of water treatment for homestead use. I believe Water for Growth would improve the management of water resources in Rwanda which will consequently contribute to socio-economic development and equitably improved livelihood,” she said. 

With the recently adopted integrated water resources management (IWRM) as the government’s overall approach to water management, Mukarubibi believes that the new project will facilitate its implementation through improving the ability and capacity of concerned institutions. 

IWRM is an internationally recognised approach to land and water management that promotes the coordinated development and management of natural resources to maximise socio-economic gains without compromising environmental sustainability.

"To support the government meet its development goals, the water for growth programme is working to build national ability to implement IWRM—strengthening relevant institutions and policy, building staff capacity within responsible agencies, building the knowledge base around Rwanda’s water resources and coordinating investment in IWRM-related projects,” said Coenraad Voorhuis , Water for Growth team leader.

Funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Rwanda, Water for Growth operates in the ministry in close collaboration with integrated water resources department under the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA).

The programme operates at national level in four demonstration catchment areas, including, Upper Nyabarongo, Nyabugogo, Sebeya and Muvumba.

The Dutch envoy to Rwanda, Amb. Frederique Maria de Man, said her country’s support to Rwanda’s water resource management programme is derived from the fact that the Netherlands has, at a number of times, suffered water-resultant effects due to her land tenure—which she thinks it could be the same case for Rwanda if the water management system is not efficient.

According to RNRA, management of water resources is one of the biggest challenges facing the nation today.

With the latest population figures standing at 12.6 million people spread across just 26338km2, Rwanda is Africa’s most densely populated country.

While the country receives heavy rainfall, less that 2 percent of river flow is captured and used, with water availability per capita reported at just 670m3 per annum.

Population growth and increasing urbanisation are expected to push water demand to over 50 percent of renewable water resources by 2040, and over 80 percent in some areas, putting the country at risk of severe water stress and decreased water quality.

Meanwhile, trends show shorter and more intense rainy seasons, bringing with them increased erosion, flooding and longer periods of drought.

With rain-fed agriculture at the core of the Rwandan economy, making up 34 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 2014 and employing 90 per cent of the population directly or indirectly, poor water management has the potential to take a severe socio-economic and environmental toll on the country.

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