On November 18, 2024, the Rwanda Water Resources Board Director General, Dr. Emmanuel Rukundo, welcomed a delegation from Ethiopia, led by Dr. Abreha Adugna, State Minister of the Ministry of Water & Energy, who were in Rwanda for a learning tour.

The visit aimed to share Rwanda’s experience and best practices in basin planning and governance, with a particular focus on the governance process—from catchment planning to implementation. The delegation expressed specific interest in catchment restoration initiatives and Rwanda’s water use permitting system.

In his welcome remarks, Dr. Emmanuel Rukundo, Director General of RWB, shared the historical background of the organization and its daily responsibilities in the protection and sustainable management of water resources.

This delegation proceeded with the field visit focused on RWB’s water permitting system and its compliance mechanisms. They visited two water users in Rwamagana District: a macadamia farmer with a fish farming pond and Bella Flowers Ink, both of whom use water for irrigation under RWB’s water permit, and gained valuable insights into RWB’s permitting system and the technologies employed by water users to extract water from lakes and transport it to irrigation zones.

Additionally, they participated in a community tree-planting initiative in the Fumbwe Sector of Rwamagana District, part of a government-supported community forestry project. The project focuses on rehabilitating 22 hectares of forest and planting 44,000 trees to combat climate change and preserve catchments. 

The last field visit took place at the New Muhazi Dyke, where the delegation explored the multipurpose uses of the structure, including the conservation of water in Muhazi Lake and flood control for downstream areas. Completed in 2022, the new dyke replaced an older, unprotected one, which posed a risk of flooding to Nyabugogo, a commercial hub in Kigali. 

At the conclusion of the visit, Getachew, Project Manager for Water Allocation and Basin Plan Implementation in Ethiopia, shared his reflections: “We came to learn about basin planning, the government process regarding water corporations, and water allocation issues. The presentations were insightful, and we learned a lot about what the Rwanda Water Resources Board is doing.” 

He added “The field visits were also very informative. We learned about Rwanda’s water permitting system, how it works, and how RWB collaborates with local communities to manage water resources. We are impressed with how Rwanda’s water authority regulates the water system, which is similar to the way we approach water management in Ethiopia.”