In light of the difficulties encountered in the implementation of water law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, stakeholders in the sector are mobilizing to find innovative solutions. VNGI International and its partners are at the forefront.
The challenges related to water management in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are numerous and complex. From the lack of coordination framework, overlaps in the responsibilities of different stakeholders, to the absence of suitable implementation measures, the enforcement of the water law (number 015/26 of December 31, 2015) faces serious obstacles.
In response to this situation, VNGI International, in collaboration with its partners, organized a workshop to analyze the challenges related to the applicability of the water law. This workshop, held from the 28th to the 29th as part of the TRIDE project (Integrated Water Resources Management), brought together a consortium of actors including ZOA, Agriterra, and VNGI. The main objective of this initiative was to enable water to serve small farmers in their agricultural activities, thereby contributing to local development.
The workshop provided an opportunity to deeply address the challenges and barriers related to the implementation of the water law. Among other watershed problems, we can mention those related to landslides, erosion, floods, wetlands, and irrigation. Discussions also focused on the development of a watershed management model and the establishment of a roadmap to overcome obstacles to the implementation of the law.
This event received support from the province of North Kivu and its Regional Technical Water Service, under the facilitation of the governor’s principal advisor in charge of hydraulic resources, environment, agriculture, and rural development. The participants, including experts from the governor’s office in charge of energy and other public services such as the planning division, agriculture inspection, carbon credit management unit, water board, and other partners involved in the water sector, achieved significant results.
The main outcomes of this workshop include:
- A common understanding of the issues related to water law
- In-depth knowledge of the water law
- Development of skills among various services involved in watershed management or development
- Immediate development of a roadmap to overcome obstacles to the implementation of water law
By mobilizing the expertise and collaboration of various partners, VNGI International and its allies strive to create a positive and lasting impact for local communities by directly addressing the difficulties encountered in the implementation of water law. This activity was organized by the TRIDE project, a project supported by the Dutch Government through the Embassy of the Netherlands in the DRC.
By Franck Zongwe Lukama