Assessing The Capacity Of The Current Institutional Framework In Rwanda To Implement Integrated Water Resources Management (Iwrm)

Abstract

Scarcity and misuse of fresh water pose a serious and growing threat to sustainable development and protection of the environment, human health, food security and industrial development. This calls for the adoption of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach, which promotes coordinated development and management of water and other natural resources like land and forests, surface water and ground water, upstream and downstream interests. For the IWRM to be implemented an appropriate institutional framework is needed and therefore it requires policy makers to make judgments about which reforms and measures, management tools and institutional arrangements are most appropriate in a particular cultural, social, political, economic and environmental context. The Government of Rwanda has been carrying out reforms in the water sector for the better management of water resources. However, there is overlap and fragmentation of roles given to Government institutions. There is lack of national institution decentralization at basin and catchment level, which leads to mismanagement of water resources and conflict in decision-making. This study was done to assess the capability of the existing institutional framework for water resources management in Rwanda. A descriptive, qualitative design was adopted and used secondary data gathered from Water related policies, laws, publications, and national documents in relation to the research topic. The data collected shows that Rwanda’s water sector is governed under a sectorial and complex institutional framework which is insufficient in terms of capacity and organizational structure at the national, basin and district level. The water law of 2008 that is to be revised, there is a need to review mandates and roles of the different coordination platforms and address the need of the Catchment Committee. In addition, a pragmatic platform capable of making integrated situational analyses at the national level is missing and there is little participation from non-governmental actors in the decision making process.