Enhancing Water Resources and Environmental Management for Sustainable Livelihoods in Rwanda (E-WREM-SLR) is a joint programme between the University of Rwanda and two Swedish Universities including Lund University, Dept. of Water Resources Engineering and KTH, Dept. of Industrial Biotechnology. The programme contributes to the development of UR as an internationally recognized institution excelling in research and innovation, teaching, learning, and community engagement in a sustainable, environmentally, and gender sensitive context. The partnership is intended to develop a critical mass of specialists in water and environmental engineering, in order to make substantial contribution towards achieving the National Strategy for Transformation, NST1 (Vision 2020 and Vision 2050 of Rwanda), Vision 2030 of the East African Community, Vision 2063 of the African Union, and Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) of the United Nations.
The training partnership focuses on three main areas: (1) Sustainable Water Resources Assessment, (2) Sustainable integrated water technologies, and (3) Environment and health, with special attention to mainstreaming of gender, climate change, and labour market at all levels. The programme intends to develop MSc in Water Engineering, train PhDs and Post-docs by sandwich, develop local PhD by course work, and to establish a centre for water and environment.
The programme is expected to build capacity in the field of water engineering who can deal with the provision of clean water, disposal of waste water and sewage, prevention of flood damage and provision of water for irrigation to ensure sustainable development in Rwanda. The programme main objective is therefore to enhance natural resources management towards poverty eradication, and sustainable livelihood in Rwanda, by building capacity and stimulating solution-oriented research related to water and environment.
