Civil society trained in water advocacy

Rwanda NGOs forum on Water, Sanitation and Environment ( RWASEF) on Friday wrapped up a four-day training work shop on advocacy and policy influencing and improvement of skills at Alpha Palace Hotel in Kigali. RWASEF is an umbrella of various civil society organizations dealing with water, sanitation and environment. The president of RWASEF, Aphrodis Kagaba, said that the seminar aimed at bringing together all actors in the water, sanitation and environment sectors, and giving them one voice in the civil society platform, as well as enhancing resources mobilization and capacity building. Kagaba told the participants that with the population increase, water needs become more and more crucial and its sustainable use requires a rational management, both at its resources level as well as its demand level. The water and sanitation sector is a major part of the economic infrastructures, the third pillar of 2020Vision and Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). “The objective of the government is to improve the water resources management and the health of rural and urban localities,” said Kagaba. He added said that there was urgent need for action, but water and sanitation are often overlooked in global development agenda, despite being consistently cited as top priorities by RWASEF is also part of the African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation. Ends