The Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB) plans to implement the Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) model to protect hydropower plants in the Giciye River catchment from flooding caused by land degradation.

This initiative will engage the private sector and non-governmental organisations to incentivize actions that prevent flooding and soil erosion through catchment restoration.

ALSO READ: Govt launches Rwf382b project to combat Mukungwa river flooding

Giciye River flows through Nyabihu District coming from Ngororero District in Western Province.

ALSO READ: Govt completes construction of River Sebeya flood retention dam

Giciye catchment has been facing environmental issues not only due to the impacts of climate change but also due to the unsustainable use of natural resources, especially in the areas of infrastructure development, agriculture, human settlement, water management, drainage systems, and deforestation for firewood, among others.

The river flooding and sediments have claimed lives of people, destroyed plantations and halted operations of hydropower plants.

ALSO READ: New measures mitigate flood disasters in Virunga mountains

Giciye I hydropower power producing 4MW, Giciye II Hydro Power Plant with a total output of 4MW and Giciye III hydropower plant with the capacity to produce 9.8 megawatts are set to be protected from such threats under the Payments for Ecosystems Services (PES) model.

Emmanuel Rukundo, the Director General of the Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB), stressed the potential of innovative partnerships in addressing water challenges under the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) pilot project which will construct and maintain water infrastructure, restore catchments, and support local community livelihoods.

ALSO READ: Over 650 households displaced by River Mukungwa floods to be relocated

"Through initiatives like the Payment for Ecosystem Services pilot, we are not only addressing water security but also creating economic and environmental benefits for communities.” he noted.

The initiative, to prevent flooding and sediments which affect power production on the river, represents a broad range of tools that can incentivize upstream users and managers of water catchments to adopt practices that reduce land degradation, sedimentation and flooding.

The model can provide payments to farmers or land users who have embraced sustainable land practices and watershed management in Giciye River catchment.

ALSO READ: Mukungwa River floods ravage Gakenke rice farms

The project involves the establishment of mechanisms for the rational management of the Giciye River over a length of 100 kilometres.

These mechanisms include Giciye River protection and land management with erosion and landslide control upstream of the catchment areas of the river, capacity building of all potential stakeholders of the region in watershed and marshland management techniques.

The establishment of these mechanisms will contribute to the sustainable land management, ecosystem rehabilitation and integrated water resources management.

Government is set to partner with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which has been piloting Payment for Ecosystem Services in the Western Province of Rwanda through the Sebeya River catchment restoration project.

The same model is currently scaling up in the Eastern Province of Rwanda under an initiative dubbed: "Reducing vulnerability to climate change through enhancing community based biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Province of Rwanda.”

Beatrice Cyiza, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment said the government has launched a Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) for Water Resources Management in Rwanda. This is a group made up of different organisations and sectors working together to manage and protect the country's water resources and address critical water security issues.

The group that will support the piloting of Payments for Ecosystems Services (PES) involves various stakeholders, such as government bodies, local communities, and private organizations, all collaborating to ensure water is used sustainably and effectively in Rwanda.

"With growing pressure on water resources from population growth, urbanisation, and climate change, Rwanda’s approach to water security is critical for its sustainable development. The group provides a neutral partnership space to address complex water challenges through collaborative action and knowledge sharing,” she noted.