BUJUMBURA October 31st (ABP) – The National Water Program in Burundi (PNE Bu) member associations held in Bujumbura on Tuesday October 29, 2019, their ordinary general assembly to analyze their annual achievements and approve the action plan to implement in their commitments, including integrated water resources management and climate resilient development in Burundi, as well as other aspects of integral development.
In opening the General Assembly, the Director General of the Environment, Water Resources and Sanitation (DGEREA), the engineer Jérémie Nkinahatemba, recalled that the PNE Bu was set up in December 2007 for the promotion of water resources in Burundi. The partners are of public domain, non-governmental organizations and development partners, he said. In his view, it is worth recalling a laudable work of the evaluation of the indicator 6.5.1 of the Sustainable Development Goal for the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the context of Sustainable Development by 2030, a work commissioned by the United Nations Environment Organization (UN-Environment, Water Sector), and executed jointly by the Directorate-General for Water Resources and the National Water Partnership.
According to Mr. Nkinahatemba, as the PNE Bu has been a priority in this process of assessment of the state of affairs of this component, it is recommended to meet those challenges so that Burundi should be endowed with the sufficient resource in quantity and in quality and, in addition, rational and efficient management tools without compromising the environment. He also indicated that DGEREA will spare no effort to support this process, whose main actor will be the PNE Bu.
In his opinion, the Chair of the PNE Bu, Ir. Anicet Nkwirikiye, said that the lack of funds for the implementation of the action plans, the problem of effective involvement of institutions and member organizations, the departure and the closure of the regional office, the lack of capacity for resource-related project setting up, particularly water resources, and climate change are the main challenges facing the PNE Bu. Speaking of future prospects, Mr. Nkwirikiye said that the steering committee of the PNE Bu will work to reorganize its bodies and monitor closely the achievements of the Water, Climate and Development Program (WACDEP) in the natural region of Bugesera in the north of Burundi, as well as the monitoring of the projects presented by the PNE Bu.
The participants in that general assembly recommended the monitoring of the “Taking action” file of the PNE Bu, and the latter will have to align with the new strategy of the global water partnership (GWP) 2020-2025 and value the certificates of accreditation, without forgetting to set up bankable projects and the promotion of the visibility of the PNE Bu.
