30th January 2024: the Rwanda Water Resources Board (RWB) organized an inception meeting for the Strengthening Groundwater Monitoring in Rwanda project, bringing together various stakeholders involved in the groundwater field.

This initiative is a collaborative effort between UNICEF Rwanda and IGRAC, with the objective of assisting the Rwanda Water Resources Board in monitoring and modeling the country's groundwater resources.

The Strengthening Groundwater Monitoring in Rwanda project is crucial as the country heavily relies on groundwater, facing challenges such as over-abstraction, contamination, and changes in land use.

Key components of the program include assessing the current status of groundwater monitoring and analyzing existing data collected by RWB for decision-making purposes.

The project will also evaluate the variability of surface and groundwater through the analysis of existing data, providing valuable insights for water resources planning in the context of climate change.

Additionally, it aims to train key stakeholders in the use of the MODFLOW model and identify suitable sites for the installation of additional groundwater monitoring. It will also involve the preparation of specifications for the required equipment.