Water for Growth was an integrated water resources management (IWRM) programme to help Rwanda better protect, conserve and manage its land and water resources – and support sustainable socio-economic development and improved livelihoods. Equitable, efficient and environmentally sustainable water resources management was the goal.
Catchment and water allocation plans were developed for priority river basins, covering about a third of Rwanda. These are designed to balance the needs of different water users, improve water quality, and physically restore catchment areas by controlling soil erosion and putting in place mitigation measures, such as afforestation and buffer zones, to conserve water and soil and minimise flooding. Installing rainwater harvesting tanks was one of several initiatives to support people through droughts.