Kigali, 22 March 2017 – Rwanda joined the World to celebrate the World Water Day under the theme “Water and wastewater”. The ceremony took place in the City of Kigali at Lemigo Hotel and was officiated by Germaine Kamayirese, Honorable Minister of State in charge of Energy and Water in the Ministry of Infrastructure. The function saw also the participation of high ranked officials from Government Institutions, International and local Organizations and other partners and stakeholders involved in Water and Sanitation Sector.  

On this occasion the Ministry of Infrastructure with Water and Sanitation partners launched the National Water Supply Policy and National Sanitation Policy and their respective Implementation Strategies that were approved by the Cabinet of Rwanda on 09^th December 2016 to ensure sustainable, equitable, reliable and affordable access to safe and clean water and sanitation services to all Rwandans, as a driver to improving public health, socio-economic development and poverty reduction.

Both policies and strategies present an analysis of the major sector challenges for urban and rural areas. They also provide direction for addressing these challenges, as well as implementation strategies, roles and responsibilities, financial requirements, targets and monitoring mechanisms, including targets and performance indicators.

In her remarks, the Minister of State in Charge of Energy and Water, Hon. Germaine Kamayirese emphasized on the efforts made by the Government of Rwanda to increase access to improved water and sanitation services to 85% and 83% respectively, as per EICV4, 2013/2014.

She further noted the importance of these Policies and Strategies which reflect mechanisms to respond to the emerging issues including the need to achieve EDPRS II and Vision 2020 targets of universal access to clean water and sanitation services; the  need to align and work towards Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 6) of ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; decentralization of water and sanitation services; sector financing mechanisms; improved performance of public-private sector arrangements; sustainability and further sector harmonization towards a sector-wide approach.

She added that the Government of Rwanda has committed itself to reaching the ambitious targets in water supply and sanitation: to attain 100% service coverage by 2020 as well as achieving progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Other speakers recalled the 2017 World Water Day celebration theme which focuses on wastewater and ways to reduce and reuse as over 80% of all the wastewater from homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature polluting the environment and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.

Ted Maly, UNICEF Representative commended the Ministry of Infrastructure for leading the consultative process which has resulted in such sector policies and strategies which emphasize equity, sustainability, sector coordination, and capacity building and overlook crucial cross-cutting issues such as environment and water resources management; gender; social inclusion; climate change; and disaster risk reduction.

He applauded tremendous progress made by the Government of Rwanda in achieving the MDG targets for water and sanitation which lead Rwanda to become one of the first countries in the world to align national water and sanitation policies with the sustainable development goals with respect to the World 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Senior Representative of JICA and Co-Chair of Water and Sanitation Sector Working Group reiterated the commitment of JICA to support the implementation of these policies and strategies.

It is recalled that the celebration of World Water Day succeeded a couple of activities organized throughout the water week which included a media tour, inauguration of water supply and sanitation plants, the exhibition on water and sanitation services among others.