All around the world, country is struggling to adapt their agricultural and food system to condition of climate change and to extreme weather events such as long periods of drought or heavy rains. Water scarcity is expected to increase as is competition for water resources among users.
Smallholder farmers are particular vulnerable to changes in water access and availability. A sudden lack of water due to drought can mean loss of income and food, threatening their lives and those of their families.


The KnoWat project takes an integrated approach to local water resource management that includes water accounting, water productivity, water governance and water tenure assessments.
It is in that framework, FAO- KnoWat management team have organize a 2 days Knowing Water Better project (KnoWat) closing workshop due on 20th to 21st September 2022 at Lemigo Hotel, Kigali. The objective of that workshop was to engage different stakeholders and showcase the project result on field.



Workshops have host around 30 participants mainly from the key institutions including Rwanda Agriculture Board, Rwanda Water Board, Ministry of Environment, APEFA, Rwanda Young water professionals and some other subcontractor involved in Knowing Water Better project.
The First day was mainly based on TAG (Technical Advisory Group) member meeting and the field visit at Yanze catchment. In TAG meeting the participant discussed on the results of Knowat project thought presentation of 5 main output of Knowat Rwanda. The following are those output discussed in TAG meeting:
- WaPOR database
- Water Use and Users assessment
- Water productivity assessment
- Water tenure assessment
- Local water management solutions
After the room presentation, the participants make a field trip at Rulindo district/ Ngoma sector/ Yanze Catchment for pear learning through success stories of yanze vegetables and evaluation of field implementation. TAG members declared being happy of what they have seen on field and thank the support of FAO and the Effort of APEFA to raise the capacity of understanding water better among yanze vegetable growers.
The second day of workshop was the official closing of Knowing Water better project in Rwanda and Official handing over of KnoWat results to partners here represented by Rwanda Agriculture Board. The guest of honor for this closing Ceremony was the following:
- FAO Representative (Mss Coumba Sow)
- Assistant Programs FAO Rwanda (Otto Muhinda)
- Germany Embassy Official
- KnoWat Global Coordinator (Benjamin Kiersch)
- Rwanda Water Board Representative
- Rwanda Agriculture Board representative




Generally, KnoWat project aimed to review the water resource management framework and then formulate recommendation to ensure the equitable access to water resources. The way forward proposed is to increase awareness and initiates more dialogue on issues of water access and allocation with the national stakeholder from government, civil society, private sector and media.