Projects funded by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO are expected to improve water resources management and maximize water value and benefits in Rwanda and the region.
The projects were discussed during UNESCO World Water Day celebration week organized in partnership with International Hydrological Program (IHP), Rwanda Young Water Professionals (Rwanda YWP) and government institutions involved in water resources management.
The theme of World Water Day 2021 held annually on March 22 is "valuing water” which attracts attention to the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
The celebration was an opportunity to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water, encouraging member states to take action to tackle the global water crisis and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6, water and sanitation for all by 2030 and others.
Albert Mutesa, the Secretary-General of Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO said that UNESCO continues to promote science knowledge and research related water resources management through different projects.
Among the ongoing projects funded by UNESCO include the promotion of the nomination of Lake Victoria Basin Ecosystem as Trans-Boundary Biosphere Reserve, Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) - Strengthening Disaster Prevention Approaches in Eastern Africa - (STEDPEA) – AI Chatbot & DRR Policy Review, Nature-based flood adaptation measures project in informal settlements in Mpazi Sub-catchment in city of Kigali and the status of Strategy for the 9th phase of IHP (IHP-IX) 2022-2029) for inputs and suggestions of thematic areas.
"We have an International Hydrological Program that aims to sustainably manage water resources. The program also supports research projects. Water resources should be sustainably managed so as to benefit future generations. We have water bodies and there is water scarcity. If water decreases it becomes a problem and if it increases and causes floods, it also becomes a problem. That is why water resources management is needed,” he said.
He urged countries to increase efforts in managing water resources to ensure water security and cope with climate change.
"UNESCO provides professionals with training at both international and regional level on water resources management. Protection of water resources basins and catchments is needed. We need efforts in controlling floods,” he noted.
Charles Kasanziki, the chairman of International Hydrological Program (IHP) said: "We have to ensure sustainable management of water bodies to avoid water scarcity in the future. If water bodies are not managed and get polluted in Rwanda, it can affect water resources in neighboring countries located in Lake Victoria basin.”
He added that trained water professionals should also train others in water resources management.
The essence of ongoing projects
Olivier Tuyishimire is The Executive Secretary of Rwanda Young Professionals, an organization implementing the UNESCO-funded project dubbed "Nature-based flood adaptation measures project in informal settlements, Mpazi Sub-catchment, city of Kigali, Rwanda.
He said that the proposed natural-based solutions for sustainable control of floods that usually affect Nyabugogo area are needed in the Mpazi drain sub-catchment area.
These include reforestation, conservative agriculture, green spaces or parks, permeable paving, establishing river buffer zone areas, rainwater harvesting systems, promoting gardens in yards instead of pavement and detention basins which are excavated areas installed adjacent to, tributaries of rivers, streams, lakes to protect against flooding.
"The ongoing research aims to bring on board natural-based solutions to control floods in addition to widening drainages, bridges and other infrastructures. We will work with the city to demonstrate appropriate solutions,” he said.
Theophile Dusengimana is Environment and Climate Change Specialist, the Ministry of environment partnered in the implementation of another UNESCO-funded project dubbed "the nomination of Lake Victoria Basin Ecosystem as Trans-Boundary Biosphere Reserve”.
The countries with Lake Victoria basin include Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda.
Out of nine catchments that Rwanda accommodates, seven of them are located in Lake Victoria basin.
He participated in collecting data about Lake Victoria Basin on part of Rwanda in 13 districts.
"We collected data about geographic information in the basin located in Rwanda including what people know about the basin, appearance of water bodies and their quality status, rainfall patterns and weather characteristics to know if there have been changes considered to the past,” he said.
The collected information also includes economic activities in the basin such as fisheries, biodiversity conservation activities, and different natural resources, status of agriculture, recurrent disasters, and conflicts in resources management among others.
The data collection also highlights how people get information about the environment, weaknesses, threats, strengths and opportunities in natural resources management and others.
"We also collected people’s ideas on areas with natural resources in Rwanda that they think should be considered as biosphere reserves and be protected in Lake Victoria basin. These include Akagera Park, Murago wetland in Bugesera, Lake Rweru ecosystems, Rugezi marshland and others,” he said.
The suggestions, he said, are based on the fact that the resources provide ecosystem services, biodiversity richness, and economic benefits such as fisheries, energy, irrigation, tourism opportunities and others.
"If the basin becomes biosphere reserve, conservation projects will create jobs, there will be introduction of new fish species, tourism opportunities among other socio-economic benefits,” he added.
The other project is Artificial Intelligence for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) - Strengthening Disaster Prevention Approaches in Eastern Africa - (STEDPEA) – AI Chatbot & DRR Policy Review.
According to Dominique Mvunabandi, Director of Science, Technology and Innovations Unit at Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO (CNRU), the project seeks to support the development and integration of science-evidenced artificial intelligent innovation, citizen science and gender-responsive actions into strategies and action plans for disaster risk reduction in schools, higher education institutions, communities and public sector in Eastern Africa.
This will help countries to prioritize climate-related threats, natural disasters and geographical hazards which will then strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.
The twelve-month project is expected to raise awareness about climate change mitigation and adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
World Water Day Report 2021
During the water day celebration, UNESCO disseminated the main messages and findings of the World Water Day Report 2021focusing on how improvements in water resources management and access to water supply and sanitation services are essential to overcoming poverty and addressing various other social and economic inequities.
The 2021 Report, on "Valuing Water”, assesses the current status of water resources and challenges the valuation of water across different sectors and perspectives while identifying ways in which valuation can be promoted as a tool to help achieve sustainability.
The report says that the current status of water resources highlights the need for improved water resources management.
Recognizing, measuring and expressing water’s multiple values, and incorporating these into decision-making processes, are fundamental to achieving sustainable and equitable water resources management.
UNESCO says that ignoring the value of water is the main cause of water waste and misuse.
The report figures show that Over 3 billion people lack adequate access to hand hygiene facilities, 80% of all industrial and municipal wastewater is released into the environment while US$76.8 billion in economic losses are caused by floods between 2009–2019 and caused nearly 55,000 deaths.
It also indicates that 50% of all malnutrition is caused by a lack of water, sanitation and hygiene.
About 380 billion m3 of water can be recovered from the annual volumes of wastewater produced.
According to Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, "Water is our most precious resource, a ‘blue gold’ to which more than two billion people do not have direct access. It not only is essential to survival, but also plays a sanitary, social and cultural role at the heart of human societies.”
Water education English series
To celebrate World Water Day 2021, Republic of China In partnership with UNESCO launched the Water Education English Series.
The animated book on water education for youngsters compiled by the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research aims to enrich the knowledge of water resources and promote the value of scientific water use to children and teenagers in developing countries.
The book will be introduced into primary and secondary schools in more countries that participate in the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa, Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe, under the support of the International Hydrological Program of UNESCO.
This project will enable more students to understand the water goals of the United Nations for sustainable development by 2030 as well as the potential challenges.
It will be first used in primary and secondary schools in Africa, especially in eastern African countries.
Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, mentioned that she expects that the vivid and inspiring stories in the book will attract African students, teachers and communities to work together to improve water education in Africa.
Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, said that water is an indispensable element in the process of achieving sustainable development in the continent, and education on science can instill the awareness of water conservation and care in the minds of young people, which is an effective way to deal with today's water challenges.
She said she is looking forward to the release of editions of the book in more languages worldwide.
Albert Mutesa, Secretary-General of Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO, speaks during the celebration of World Water Day at Lemigo Hotel on March 31, 2021.
Charles Kasanziki, chairman of the International Hydrological Program, during the celebration of World Water Day at Lemigo Hotel on March 31, 2021.
The participants during the celebration of World Water Day.