Kigali 08^_March-2012

The Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP II), Rwanda organized a technical workshop with technical experts within the National Technical Advisory committee (NTAC) aiming to review the project intervention areas, priority activities and implementation arrangements. The technical workshop also focused on prioritizing and costing of project activities to be implemented during 2012 -2013 Fiscal Year, which will be approved during the upcoming Regional Steering Committee scheduled from 19^th to 20^th March.

The meeting also studied on putting in place an efficient coordination and communication tool in order to organize stakeholders and partners during the project implementation.

While officially opening the workshop, Dr Rose Mukankomeje, the Director General of Rwanda Environment management authority (REMA) challenged the participants to utilize the occasion to share diversified experience and skills in making the project more effective and successful, since their respective institutions will benefit as well as the rest of Rwandans whom they serve.

“ I wish to urge you all to fully utilize this workshop in understanding clearly the project design including the objectives, outputs and planned activities, and implementation arrangements and use your experiences in streamlining the project targeted activities for its effective and sustainable implementation since the project will support your institutions”.

The DG also emphasized that the project comes at a due time for Rwanda whose above 80% of water head to Lake Victoria and therefore Rwanda is in the right place to benefit from the project. She highlighted different key national needs which should be considered by the project including the soil erosion and water pollution.

Following a brief presentation of the LVEMP II project, participants, reviewed through the group discussions different activities under the three among four components of the projects. The target components included (i) strengthening institutional capacity for managing shared fisheries and water resources, (ii) point source pollution control and prevention, and (iii) watershed management.

The discussions based on assessing the relevance of the proposed activities considering the current national needs. They highlighted the activities which need to be prioritized in the 2012-2013 fiscal year and identified the project areas of intervention as well as other ideas on refining those activities.

They also revised the costing of activities and exchanged on the availability of the terms of references for the planned studies. The results of the technical meeting will be submitted for approval in the Regional Steering Committee.

LVEMP II is implemented by five riparian countries; namely Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. In Rwanda, the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) covers a total surface area of 21,362 km² or 11% of the total area of the LVB and covers about 90% of the Rwandan surface area. The LVB in Rwanda is defined by the extent of the Akagera River catchment in the country. Rwanda is, therefore, key upstream riparian country with respect to the sustainable management of the LVB natural resources.