Water Resources Department : Leading processes to achieve SDG6

The Department of Water Resources in Rwanda Water and Forestry Authority (RWFA) takes the lead in coordinating stakeholders involved in implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 which focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. SDG 6 is defined as ‘’Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.’’

​The Water Resources Department is in charge among others to implement IWRM Agenda of the National Policy on Water Resources. One of the key actions is to coordinate various stakeholders involved in the water sector including those working in domestic water supply, irrigation, ecosystems, financing, transboundary water level, infrastructures development.

It is in that context, that SDG Targets are defined as aspirational and global, while each Government sets its own national targets guided by the global level of ambition but taking into account national circumstances.

All countries committed to engage in systematic follow-up and review of the implementation of the Agenda – at subnational, national, regional and global levels and this will be voluntary and country-led, taking   into account different national realities, capacities, levels of development and priorities.

As national ownership is key to achieving sustainable development, the outcome from national level processes will be the foundation for reviews at the regional and global levels, given that the global review will be primarily based on national official data sources.”

For Rwanda, the Water Resources Department takes lead in coordinating all stakeholders involved in the processes. Integrated data monitoring will be initiated soon through joint workshops, discussions on indicators and agreement on process for data collection and data reporting.

To “ensure access and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, it is necessary to move away from the sectoral approach that is characteristic for water resources, to adopt a more integrated overall approach to management.

To design coherent policies and make informed development decisions, it is necessary to assess and analyse the potential consequences of different development paths on social, economic and environmental well being.  An integrated management approach, including a comprehensive assessment and analysis of different development paths, can only be obtained by also integrating hydrological, environmental, social and economic information.

Article by the Head of Water Resources  Department,