The Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB), in collaboration with UNESCO and the UN-Water SDG 6 Capacity Development Initiative (CDI), has convened a three-day high-level workshop to identify critical capacity gaps and accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).

Held from 23–25 September 2026, the forum brought together government entities, UN agencies, development partners, academia, civil society, and private sector stakeholders to devise practical, actionable pathways ensuring sustainable access to water and sanitation by 2030.

Opening the workshop, RWB Executive Chairperson Eng. Richard Nyirishema commended the country’s strides in water supply, sanitation, and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), driven by sustained investment and policy coordination. However, he stressed that meeting upcoming global deadlines requires translating high-level frameworks into localized, operational execution.

“As we move closer to 2030, there is an urgent need to accelerate progress,” Eng. Nyirishema stated. “Strengthening capacity at national, institutional, and local levels is therefore critical. Our objective is not only to identify challenges, but to propose clear, implementable solutions.”

Throughout the technical sessions, participants evaluated institutional bottlenecks and strategic opportunities across governance, data monitoring, sustainable financing, and climate resilience. Discussions centered on mobilizing partnerships and scaling up technology to address frontline implementation barriers.

To ground the theoretical frameworks in real-world application, the workshop concluded with technical visits to the Nyandungu Eco-Park and the Gikondo Urban Wetland Restoration site. The visits demonstrated Rwanda's active deployment of nature-based solutions, urban wetland rehabilitation, flood control, and water quality enhancement.

The recommendations and resolutions generated from the three-day engagement will form the foundational roadmap for Rwanda’s National SDG 6 Capacity Development Plan, setting strategic priorities for future water resource investments and institutional support.