The government has reduced soil erosion across 1.2 million hectares, a major step toward protecting rivers that form the headwaters of the River Nile and safeguarding water quality for millions of people downstream.

The River Nile, Africa’s longest river, stretching about 6,650 kilometres draws some of its most distant headwaters from Rwanda. The Rukarara River, which rises in Nyungwe Forest in the country’s south-west, feeds into the Mwogo River.

The Mwogo then joins the Mbirurume to form the Nyabarongo River, which flows into the Akagera River and onward to Lake Victoria, a key source of the Nile.

Further downstream, the Mukungwa River joins the Nyabarongo, altering its flow eastwards. Because these rivers originate in Rwanda’s forests, wetlands and highlands, land degradation, deforestation or pollution within the country can directly affect the Nile’s water quality.

"The Nile is a shared water resource, and Rwanda has a responsibility to protect it,” said Philippe Kwitonda, Director General for Land, Water and Forest Resources at the Ministry of Environment. "We are fighting erosion that pollutes rivers, planting trees and protecting river buffer zones. So far, erosion control measures cover 1.2 million hectares.”

Kwitonda added that conserving these rivers also secures water for Rwanda’s development priorities, including irrigation, fisheries and hydropower. "Pollution leads to biodiversity loss.

Mining activities and soil erosion are major threats. Rivers have no borders, so Rwanda must play its part,” he said.

The economic stakes are high. Rwanda loses more than Rwf 800 billion annually to soil erosion, which affects over 745,000 hectares of farmland.

An estimated 25 tonnes of topsoil are lost per hectare each year, and more than one million hectares, about 45 per cent of the country are considered at risk, according to Rwanda Water Resources (2022).

Several large-scale initiatives are helping to reverse the trend. The Congo–Nile Divide restoration programme is rehabilitating forests and landscapes across about 250,000 hectares, reducing land degradation and limiting sediment and pollution entering rivers such as the Mwogo, Mbirurume and Nyabarongo.

Other efforts include the TREPA project, which targets 60,000 hectares of degraded land in Eastern Province, and the Green Gicumbi Project, among others.

Regional cooperation was in focus last week as delegates from 10 riparian countries met in Kigali for the 9th General Assembly of the Nile Basin Discourse (NBD).

Established in 2003, the NBD brings together more than 600 civil society organisations working on environmental conservation, livelihoods, gender equity and poverty reduction across the Nile Basin.

Member countries include Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

"Civil society helps ensure water becomes a source of development, not conflict,” said Verdiane Nyiramana, Chairperson of the NBD. "We empower women and youth to innovate, collect data and raise awareness about river protection. Communities depend on these initiatives for clean water, food security and climate resilience.”

The NBD supports more than 600 initiatives focused on environmental protection, agriculture and climate adaptation.

As part of this work, the NBD has signed a $3 million grant agreement with the World Bank under the Cooperation in International Waters in Africa (CIWA) Trust Fund.

The funding will support the Nile Civil Society for Climate Resilience (NCSCR) Project, which runs from April 2025 to March 2027 and aims to strengthen cooperation on managing shared waters.

Youth engagement is a priority, with young professionals involved in data collection, technology-driven solutions and community mobilisation.

Women’s networks are also being strengthened to promote gender-inclusive water governance, Nyiramana said.

May Mohamed El Shafei, a member of the Nile Basin Discourse from Egypt, underscored the importance of cooperation, particularly for downstream countries.

"Every drop must be managed carefully,” she said. "The Nile is life—not only for Egyptians, but for all Africans.”

She called for integrated land and water management and equitable sharing of the basin’s benefits to ensure long-term sustainability.