GWP Eastern Africa and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) signed the MoU last Wednesday, 18th December 2013 in Kigali, Rwanda. The MoU underscored the importance of partnership for a water secure and climate resilient region.
In the witness of the legal, technical officers from the two institutions, Dr. Canisius Kanangire, Executive Secretary signed on behalf of LVBC and Mr. Patrick Safari, Regional Coordinator for GWP Eastern Africa. GWP Eastern Africa Regional Coordinator, Safari underscores the importance of the MoU in enhancing “Institutional partnerships for integrated and sustainable water resources management in the region.”
LVBC Executive Secretary of LVBC emphasized that the two institutions have many common interests, thus the rationale for complementing each other through a formal partnership.
“We can reach farther and achieve more in management of available water resources at all levels in complementarity as opposed to isolation.” Dr. Kanangire observed.
Key strategic areas of focus of the MoU include: water policy analysis, policy dialogue, policy influencing, capacity building, knowledge and information sharing and development and implementation of joint programs and activities in water resources management. The two institutions will jointly implement the Water, Climate and Development Program (WACDEP) in the Kagera River Basin and ensure the development and implementation of a cooperative framework for the sustainable management of water and other natural resources of the Kagera river basin and other sub-basins.
The two institutions, GWP and LVBC operate in the region and focus on the sustainable management of the water resources in the region among other things.
GWP was founded in 1996 by the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) to foster integrated water resource management (IWRM). Website www.gwpea.org
Lake Victoria Basin Commission is a specialized institution of the East African Community (EAC) that is responsible for coordinating the sustainable development agenda of the Lake Victoria Basin. Website www.lvbcom.org