Scoping Advice for the Dutch IWRM Support Programme Rwanda

During the Kigali workshop, it became evident that the need for IWRM as the approach for watermanagement in Rwanda is broadly acknowledged by a variety of government and non-governmentstakeholders, from within and outside the water sector. This is timely, as for the time beingRwanda only faces localised water-related problems. Given the rapid pace of economicdevelopment and the high rate of population growth, water demands for food security, publicwater supply, energy production, among others, are and will be increasing. By acknowledging thisat an early stage, Rwanda has time to pro-actively start managing equitable access to water for alldifferent users.2. The NCEA observes that Rwanda has not only made swift steps, but has also timely recognisedthe need for IWRM to anticipate possible future conflicting water demands. IWRM is alreadyrelatively well established in legal and policy documents. In the coming period focus ought to beon making IWRM further operational if the GoR wants to make effective use of this momentum.2.2 Risks related to the IWRM implementation processDocument study but especially discussions with RWRD and with consultants at SHER and RIWSPalso highlighted some risks associated with the present IWRM operationalisation process:- The RWRD is a young department: it exists since 2010, while it was only recently staffed withyoung professionals with limited operational experience;- The elements that constitute an IWRM approach are mostly developed by hired consultants inrelatively isolated teams;- Staff of the RWRD, but also other departments, have only limited involvement in this process.Consequently, there is limited transfer of knowledge and skills, thus producing littleownership of the end products (including for example the MIS);- The high pressure to achieve targets within short periods of time may hamper effectivelearning and feedback to adjust and improve both policy and practice for IWRM;- Key sectors are invited in the process, especially at national level, but the pace ofdevelopment also here leads to limited ownership of IWRM among relevant sectors. It isquestioned whether all sectors are aware of and understand their legal roles andresponsibilities within IWRM;- Very little of the IWRM policy and institutional framework is operational yet, or is so far visiblyimplemented at catchment level. Commitment and ownership thus still have to be developedamong (local) stakeholders such as districts authorities and others.- The NCEA sees a risk of ambitious policy makers running too far ahead of actual fieldimplementation, possibly ignoring the fact that acceptation and implementation of IWRMtakes time.3. The NCEA concludes that there is a risk that IWRM practice does not develop at the same paceas the policy framework. Learning and transfer of knowledge and skills require more time andattention if capacity is to be built. In order for IWRM to become operational, a sense of ownershipwill need to be shared by the different actors, both at national and decentral levels. Theseprocesses need time, while currently pressure is at achieving targets.8