National Policy & Strategy for Water Supply and Sanitation Services.

This Policy on water supply and sanitation (WSS) presents the sector’s approach on how to achieve the Rwanda's Vision 2020, Millennium Development Goals and the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy objectives and breaks them down into concrete principles, objectives and statements. The Policy declares that providing access to at least basic water WSS services is in the public interest and should be affordable for the entire population, and although, the primary responsibility for water supply and sanitation services provision rests with local governments and RWASCO (the urban water and sewerage utility), central Government has an obligation and interest to make sure that these institutions are able to comply with these responsibilities. The global objective for the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector is to ensure sustainable and affordable access to safe water supply, sanitation and waste management services for all Rwandans, as a contribution to poverty reduction, public health, economic development and environmental protection. The Policy sets out specific objectives in the field of water supply (especially potable water), sanitation (sewerage, stormwater and solid waste) and institutional and capacity building framework, which can be directly used for strategic planning and monitoring. Included in the Policy is a Strategic Action Plan to Implement the National WSS Policy. Water supply services and sanitation are defined.
Policy statements on cross-cutting issues concern environment and water resources management, gender and social inclusion and hiv/aids. Stated policy objectives include: Raising rural water supply coverage by assisting the Districts to plan, design, finance and implement infrastructure projects; implementation of an ambitious, decentralised rural WSS programme based on harmonised procedures; establishing a harmonised financing mechanism (a dedicated Water and Sanitation Fund) linked to district-led implementation; prioritization of water supply service delivery in grouped settlements in rural areas; technical support and capacity building for local government; enhancing Public Private Partnership (PPP) performance for the management of rural water schemes; ensuring sustainable functionality of rural water supply infrastructure by developing effective management structures; improvement of sanitation and storm water management; implementation of integrated solid waste management; strengthening of institutional framework.