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By Annonciata Byukusenge
Ndungutse Narcisse wakes up at five in the morning every day. His main activity consists of farming a big 9-hectare farm located in the Mukarange sector, Kayonza district in Eastern Rwanda.
The 55-year-old father never envisioned that his efforts in the farmlands would pave the way for men workers in his remote village to pursue prosperous lives as he told Forefront Magazine.
Ndungutse remembers the journey of life without water, school rating, food security issues, malnutrition for kids, power sanitation, and other issues related to water in daily life. This issue affected their production especially maize because the long dry season causes drought.
Eastern Rwanda has historically faced challenges with water access due to its geography and inconsistent rainfall patterns. Villagers, particularly women and children, would spend hours each day fetching water from distant and often contaminated sources. This arduous task not only consumed valuable time but also exposed communities to waterborne diseases, stifling their potential for growth and prosperity.
Akagera is a large river in Eastern Africa, flowing through Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda before discharging into Victoria Lake. Akagera River basin is endowed with a moderate climate, land for agriculture, and sufficient water resources. Yet, this region is still generally one of high poverty, with substance farming as a dominant livelihood activity. Rapid population growth, agriculture, and poor sanitation are putting pressure on the Akagera River and its water quality. Therefore, the water-stored underground, in aquifers, deserves more attention.
Transformative Impacts on Agriculture
Access to reliable water sources has revolutionized agriculture in Eastern Rwanda. Farmers who once depended solely on rain-fed agriculture can now irrigate their crops, leading to increased yields and the ability to grow a wider variety of produce year-round. Crops such as maize, beans, and vegetables thrive, providing food security and surplus produce for the market.
The introduction of irrigation has also enabled farmers to engage in high-value crops like fruits and horticulture. This shift not only enhances their income but also contributes to the overall economic development of the region. With consistent water supply, farmers can plan their planting and harvesting cycles more effectively, reducing the risks associated with droughts and erratic weather patterns.
According to the 2020 Rwanda Irrigation Master Plan, produced in 2019, Rwanda’s irrigation potential is 501,509 hectares, including 52,100 hectares from dams. This means that currently, Rwanda is only irrigating about 14 percent of its total potential. However, the irrigation achievement in 2020-2021 is 493,050 hectares.
“We were affected by water issues many years ago, including our maize farming. We were farming 9ha and we harvested 6 Tons of maize, but after accessing water, we are harvesting between 57 tons and 60 Tons. Per season.”
The Ministry of Agriculture through the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), advised us to join the maize farmers’ cooperative named Karambo1 because one farmer cannot achieve his/her goals alone.
Ngabirano Wilberforce is a maize farmer from the Matimba sector, in Nyagatare district. He expresses his emotions as a farmer after accessing water and the government helped them to get the insurance of their maize production.
“The government supported us with the materials to irrigate our plants because we have been maize farmers by profession since 2013. Before joining the cooperative, we suffered losses due to disasters including drought, and were not able to produce.” Said Ngabirano.
He added that now they do not have any worry of disaster to their production, because also the government helped them to get the Crops and animals covered under National Agriculture Insurance.
“Apart from accessing water to irrigate, our production is also safe. Crops and animals are covered under National Agriculture Insurance because it compensates us in case our production is affected by disasters. We pay nine thousand Rwandan Francs (9000 Frws) per season. This program of TEKANA follows access to water.”
Key Achievements:
- 568,563 crop farmers (337,422 males and 231,141 females) benefited from the GoR subsidy under the program “TEKANA URISHINGIWE Muhinzi Mworozi”,
- 95,398 livestock keepers (72,131 males and 13,267 females) and 61 SMEs benefited from the GoR subsidy under the “TEKANA URISHINGIWE Muhinzi Mworozi.”
The impact of agricultural insurance on farmers so far
- 9,368,318,355 Frw in premiums has been collected and paid by farmers. TEKANA is contributing to the diversification of insurance products, primarily for low-income people.”
- 3,747,327,342 Frw has been paid by the GoR as a 40% contribution to help farmers access insurance products.
- 5,309,388,565 Frw has been paid to farmers as compensation for losses to insured crops and livestock: Frw 2,455,065,699 (73% loss ratio) paid to livestock keepers and Frw 2,854,322,866 (46% loss ratio) paid to crop farmers.
The total area equipped for irrigation in Rwanda is estimated at 11467 ha. With an estimated cropped area of 7000 ha, the overall cropping intensity is 61%. The main crop planted in most irrigation schemes is rice. The total estimated irrigation water demand for all schemes is about 58 MCM. https://www.minagri.gov.rw/fileadmin/user_upload/Minagri/Publications/Policies_and_strategies/Rwanda_Irrigation_Master_Plan.pdf
Sustainable Development Goals
As Eastern Rwanda continues to develop, the focus remains on sustainability and resilience. Future projects aim to expand water access to more remote areas and integrate climate-smart practices to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The success of water projects in Eastern Rwanda serves as a blueprint for other regions facing similar challenges, demonstrating that access to water is not just a basic necessity but a catalyst for comprehensive development.
Groundwater Development
The total population of the four riparian countries of Akagera is estimated to be more than 120 million with Tanzania being the most populous (~49%) followed by Uganda (~32%), then Rwanda (~10%), and Burundi (~9%). The average annual population growth rate in the four countries is about 3% and about half of the total population is below the age of 15. The population within the Akagera aquifer area is estimated to be about 900,000 distributed between the four countries as follows: Tanzania 59%, Uganda 21%, Rwanda 17% and Burundi 3%
Farming activities are the most dominant livelihood activity in the Akagera aquifer area. The main livelihood structure in the aquifer is dominated by subsistence farming, crop and livestock production. The main food crops include finger millet, maize, beans, bananas, cassava, and potatoes, in addition to fruits and vegetables with Coffee being a major cash crop.
Table 1-1: Distribution of Kagera Basin within Riparian Countries
| Country | Catchment Area (Km2) | % of Total Catchment Area |
| Burundi | 13,060 | 22 |
| Rwanda | 20,550 | 34 |
| Tanzania | 20,210 | 34 |
| Uganda | 5,980 | 10 |
| Kagera Basin (total) | 59,800 | 100 |
Other livelihood activities include small-scale fish farming, agroforestry, and brickmaking. Women dominate agricultural activities, while men dominate the remaining aforementioned activities. The aquifer region is generally one of high poverty, with poverty status varying from one location to another depending on existing opportunities for economic activities. Urban centres within the aquifer serve as regional trade and service centres relying primarily on trade and services and small manufacturing activities.
Precipitation and surface water from rivers and lakes are the source of water for the different livelihood activities in the Akagera region. Groundwater is used primarily as a source of drinking water and for animal watering accounting for about 70% of water supply (springs and boreholes). Women and children are mostly responsible for the collection of water. The average time spent to collect the water ranges between 20-30 minutes. Access to improved safe water sources varies greatly within the project areas and ranges in average from 60% to 80% with an average per capita water use of about 25l/day. The development of groundwater resources in the area is increasingly sought by the authorities in the four riparian countries to improve access to safe water in a declared effort by the four countries to achieve universal access by 2030 in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Groundwater can contribute to the reduction of the risks of waterborne diseases as in general, it is of better quality than surface water sources. The challenge, however, is to prevent groundwater contamination from anthropogenic sources. While the development of groundwater can effectively contribute to the enhancement of the domestic water supply, it is generally hampered by several technical, financial, and/or managerial factors.
Estimation of current and future groundwater abstractions from the Akagera aquifer was based on available population data and the current and projected domestic water consumption per capita. The assumption is made that groundwater from the aquifer will be used solely for the provision of domestic water supply and that it will not be used for other activities such as irrigation and industry. The projection did not take into account possible use for animal watering.
Accessing water in Eastern Rwanda supported by the Nile Basin Initiative through the Regional Rusumo Falls Hydro Electric Project (RRFHEP) implemented by the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP). Is to benefit the three neighboring countries named Rwanda, Tanzania, and Burundi at the border of Rusumo in the eastern part of Rwanda, the Western part of Tanzania, and the Northern part of Burundi.
In November 2023, the Nile Basin Initiative officially handed over six hydrological monitoring stations to the Rwanda Water Resources Board, which are poised to monitor and collect data related to water levels, flow rates, and other relevant parameters.
The six Hydrological Monitoring stations handed over to Rwanda Water Resources Board are Akanyaru (Gihinga), Muvumba (Kagitumba), Nyabarongo (Kanzenze), Cyohoha (Shell), Akagera outlet, and Rweru (Gakindo).
These stations, provide essential data including: Water resources assessment and planning and allocation to competing interests, flood forecasting and early warning information to enhance Community preparedness and disaster risk reduction, Drought severity assessment and forecasting of Power production for hydropower stations, support river navigation and transport advisory to shipping agencies.
This story was produced with support from NBI Secretariat (Nile-Sec), which, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented a program across the Nile Basin focused on shared groundwater aquifers. The project’s goal was to improve water resource management at both the national and basin levels.
The first phase concentrated on building knowledge and capacity for the sustainable use and management of significant transboundary aquifers within the Nile Basin. Three aquifer areas were selected for intervention: the Kagera aquifer shared by Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi; the Mt Elgon aquifer shared by Uganda and Kenya; and the Gedaref-Adigrat aquifer shared by Sudan and Ethiopia. These aquifers are located in various climates, including arid, semi-arid, and tropical regions.
Initially, the phase involved gathering existing data and creating a Shared Aquifer Diagnostic Report (SADA) for the three selected aquifers. The subsequent phase engaged in groundwater modeling to enhance understanding of the aquifers and analyze scenarios based on changes in climate and groundwater use.
