Goal: To ensure safe, climate resilient water supply for families across the country

Summary/Activities: Rwanda, a tiny landlocked country in the heart of Africa, is already feeling the impacts of climate change. The country regularly experiences flooding, which causes major infrastructure damage, landslides and major loss of life. At the same time, many regions also experience regular water scarcity and drought. In December 2016, the Government of Rwanda took an important step towards protecting children from climate risks by approving a new National Water Supply Policy and Implementation Strategy. The policy provides clear guidance on improving the country’s climate resilience at the national, regional and community levels. It specifically calls for programmes that address the risks posed by climate change and aims to climate-proof new large water supply programmes. UNICEF was instrumental in providing input into the policy, particularly in regards to ensuring the needs of the poorest children were being met. The Government of Rwanda is also pledging to improve the operation and maintenance of existing water supply infrastructure and provide new resilient water facilities to communities. The new policy aims to protect existing WASH systems against current climate variability and future change. In addition, the policy also includes provisions for risk-informed planning, prioritizes conservation and protection and mandatory water safety planning.

More info: http://www.mininfra.gov.rw/fileadmin/user_upload/new_upload/NATIONAL_WATER_SUPPLY_POLICY_IMPEMEN TATION_STRATEGY_DECEMBER_2016.pdf https://www.weadapt.org/sites/weadapt.org/files/legacy-new/knowledgebase/files/4e2571828dac3Final_Report.pdf