The high rainfall means that the availability of water is not yet a significant problem. However, the country’s ambitious plans for irrigation development and industrialisation coupled with the high population growth, land degradation and the negative effects of climate change, are increasingly pushing the balance between supply and demand for water out of kilter. Coordination between the different sectors that are dependent on water is therefore a point of attention. Agriculture and power generation may also offer opportunities for the Dutch water sector, but greater knowledge of the country’s plans to finance the water infrastructure is desirable. Rwanda has a relatively good business climate, and holds the 29th position in the World Bank’s Doing Business Index.
Rwanda is a Water Support Programme focus country. Within the framework of the bilateral cooperation programme, the Netherlands is carrying out a river basin project called Water for Growth that incorporates the integrated water resources management approach. The project’s objectives are to improve water management and restore landscapes.
The NWP facilitates the Water Support Programme’s Rwanda Country Platform and the Strategic Adviser on Water for Rwanda to collaborate with the water expert from the Netherlands Embassy in Rwanda. The Strategic Adviser helps translate the water section in the multi-year strategic policy plan of the Embassy of the Netherlands into concrete programmes and projects, thereby identifying opportunities for the Dutch water sector.