Catchment plans to promote sustainable use of water resources

​The Integrated Water Resources Department (IWRMD) in collaboration with Water for Growth Rwanda developed the first version of catchment plans for four catchments of Sebeya, Muvumba, Upper Nyabarongo and Nyabugogo.

In the catchment plans, stakeholders within an area that physically share water resources (a catchment) jointly express their vision and objectives for the catchment and its population.

Plans define how scarce water resources are allocated among sectors and shared across competing demands.  This process is supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (in Rwanda).

Catchment plan Process is based on an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach and considers all components of Rwanda’s water resources system and all functions and water user sectors for those catchments.

The center of the Catchment plan for these 4 catchments consists of the approach of facing the challenge that has been discussed extensively with all stakeholders. The government of Rwanda is aware of the vital role of water for the economic and social development of the country and water resources management. This catchment plan is important in water management because of approach of:

• Integrating water management in catchment plan;

• Involvement and co-operation of all stakeholders;

• Institutional change;

• Focusing on implementation of proposed measures;

• comprise an update of the water availability and water demand

• Is based on tools (including computation tools) that enable a trade-off between the various aspects involved.

Currently the catchment plans version 1 have been finalized and can be viewed here http://www.water.rw/publication/  

Story by Monique Umutoni(IWRMD)