Project implementation:
Lead: Youth Environmental Justice and Gender Equality- YOGE | Partners: Tanzania Media for Community Development (TAMCODE), Ruvuma Basin Water Office (RBWO)
About the project
The Inclusive Freshwater Governance for Sustainable Communities in the Ruvuma Basin – “Voices for Water” project seeks to strengthen community participation and equity in water governance across the Ruvuma Basin in southern Tanzania. By building the capacity of local communities, women, youth, and marginalized groups, the project will ensure their active involvement in decision-making platforms such as sub-catchment water committees and user associations. Through a combination of training, advocacy, and multi-stakeholder dialogue, the project will promote sustainable water management, conflict resolution, and climate-resilient practices that safeguard both livelihoods and ecosystems.
Key objectives
- Enhanced community voice in freshwater governance, with inclusive participation of women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
- Strengthened sub-catchment committees and local institutions for equitable and transparent water allocation.
- Increased adoption of climate-resilient practices in agriculture, fisheries, and domestic water use.
- Reduced water conflicts through improved dialogue between communities, RBWO, and local authorities.
- Documented best practices and policy recommendations that can inform national and regional water governance frameworks.
This project is part of the BRIDGE (Building River Dialogue and Governance) initiative grants: Gender Mainstreaming Grants / Women Leadership Grants. The BRIDGE Grants aim to address barriers to gender equality and women’s empowerment in transboundary water governance. The grants support practical actions to strengthen inclusive institutions and promote women-led solutions for managing and restoring freshwater ecosystems. BRIDGE is made possible through the Water Diplomacy Programme of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC).
