Project News

The Government of Rwanda (GoR) has started to review irrigation strategic plans to formulate a sustainable irrigation development/ management model. However, the necessary inventory of irrigation facilities and system of Operation, Maintenance and Management (OMM) are not well organized, and there is a need to collect and analyse data especially on the current situation of OMM of irrigation schemes at the field level.

In WAMCAB project, to explore sustainable irrigation management models by Irrigation Water Users Organization (IWUO), approaches that WAMCAB proposed are being piloted in the model sites of the three target districts (Rwamagana, Ngoma and Gisagara). Therefore, collecting and analysing data on irrigation schemes even outside of the target areas will contribute to the nationwide dissemination of management models to be established by WAMCAB and to policy recommendations. In this context, based on the aforementioned intent of the GoR, WAMCAB has decided to conduct a sample survey in representative irrigation schemes and support the development of the inventory of irrigation schemes.

Since late November 2021, WAMCAB has been collecting existing information and conducting field surveys in around 30 irrigation schemes, including the project model sites, out of about 1,000 schemes nationwide that can be developed and rehabilitated as irrigation schemes.

As for the existing information collection, O&M manuals and feasibility study reports have been compiled as basic information. Also, as field survey, interview survey with IWUO and Cooperatives, and facility survey have been conducted in each scheme in the Eastern and Southern Provinces. With these results, the current situation of OMM and collection of water fee in each irrigation scheme can be grasped and recommendations on how to analyse the results will be compiled. It is also expected that additional surveys will be continued in the remaining schemes by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), using this survey method conducted by WAMCAB as a sample case.

Preparation for the field survey using tablet computer

Through this irrigation survey and analysis, experiences in WAMCAB will be widely shared with the central government and rolled out nationwide as a contribution to the new irrigation strategic plans. Moreover, we expect this will benefit farmers by improving irrigation water management capacity throughout Rwanda.

(Atsumu Yamaguchi / JICA Economic Development Department (OJT in JICA Rwanda Office))