Project News

Based on development of ICT and tourism sectors, Rwandan economy has been significantly growing up as called "African Miracle". In addition, by utilizing its gradual slopes named "the Land of a Thousand Hills" and volcanic soils, coffee and tea are the major cash crops for export, with the high altitudes. Due to the fact that agriculture production heavily depends on rainfall, it is one of the most important tasks of the Country to get rid of rain-fed agriculture by realizing irrigation development for rice, maize, horticulture production. Although operation and maintenance of the developed schemes should be transferred from the Government to Irrigation Water Users Organization (IWUO), it is not well organized/managed depends on insufficient capacity of both the Government and IWUO.

In order to solve the problems and based on the request of the Government of Rwanda, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has launched the Project for Water Management and Capacity Building in April 2019, targeting the sustainable management of irrigation schemes by IWUO in collaboration with the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) as the implementation agency of the Project.

On 8 May 2019, about one month after arrival of the JICA project team in Rwanda, the first meeting of the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC), which is the supreme organ of the Project implementation, was organized in Kigali.

During this meeting, outline of this 5 year Project (from 2019 to2024) was approved. Rwamagana and Ngoma districts in Eastern province and Gisagara district in Southern province were selected as 3 model areas, in which capacity building activities will be conducted for IWUOs and the related public organizations. Even though official name of the Project is long, it can be call as "WAMCAB", in order for everybody to understand easily.

The Project purpose is "the capacity of irrigation scheme management improves in the model sites", which will be achieved by realizing the following 5 outputs:

1. Irrigation Management Transfer procedure and related aspects are identified;
2. IWUO management is enhanced in the model sites;
3. Operation and maintenance are properly implemented in the model sites;
4. Water management is properly implemented in the model sites; and
5. Farm management is properly implemented in the model sites.

WAMCAB is the Project to be implemented by Rwanda itself with necessary support by JICA. In order to successfully conduct the Project, the Task Force is formulated by the core members of counterparts at central, station and district levels as well as with JICA expert team. JICA team, which consists of both Japanese experts and Rwandan experts, will contribute to the Project implementation with all its force.

We will publish this Project News occasionally to introduce our activities and achievements.

It should be highly appreciated if you could continuously read this news and support us for 5 years.

Discussions during the 1st JCC meeting

JICA Project team with DG/RAD (center)

(WAMCAB Chief Advisor/Irrigation Policy: Mr. Norio KUNIYASU)