The Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB), in collaboration with the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS Network), has conducted a five-day technical workshop on Catchment Restoration Planning Tools and Stakeholder Mapping for the Koko and Muregeya sub-catchments.

The workshop brought together Rutsiro District officials and development partners to strengthen field coordination, enhance the use of modern planning tools, and align localized interventions for sustainable catchment management. Specifically, the sessions focused on mapping active stakeholders, clarifying institutional roles to eliminate duplication, and building technical capacity to utilize the Catchment Restoration Opportunities Mapping Decision Support System (CROM-DSS) and Village Land Use Action Plans (VLUAPs).

Welcoming the participants, the Vice Mayor in Charge of Economic Development in Rutsiro District, Emmanuel Uwizeyimana, commended RWB and ARCOS for uniting key actors to address immediate environmental and social challenges across the region.

Pamela Ruzigana, the Catchment Restoration and Erosion Control Division Manager at RWB, emphasized that synchronized stakeholder mapping is vital for maximizing resources. "We must bridge the gaps between national environmental policies and grassroots implementation," Ruzigana stated. "It is essential for all partners to design robust sustainability mechanisms that safeguard long-term achievements in soil erosion control, water management, and community development."

Highlighting the evolution of their field operations, Jean Paul Kubwimana, the Head of Thematic Programs Coordination at ARCOS, thanked RWB for its steadfast technical guidance. "While field teams previously relied on basic physical observations to identify terracing sites, this training bridges that technological gap by introducing advanced mapping tools," Kubwimana noted.

By integrating advanced spatial data tools with coordinated stakeholder targets, the participating local authorities and conservation partners established a unified framework to implement effective, data-driven landscape restoration across Koko and Muregeya sub-catchments.