The Youth Environmental Justice and Gender Equality (YOGE), through its Voices for Water project supported by IUCN’s Building River Dialogue and Governance (BRIDGE), presented project overview, implemented activities, people reached, key challenges identified and recommendations during the Regional Policy Summit convened in Songea District to safeguard the Ruvuma Basin, Tanzania’s vital agricultural hub.
Adv. Philomena Mwalongo, The Executive Director of YOGE explained that the project implemented with support from BRIDGE had strengthened participatory water governance by engaging women, youth, and local stakeholders in decision‑making. Through baseline assessments, trainings, dialogues, forums and media and story-telling awareness campaign, theproject identified pressing challenges such as weak enforcement of water laws, pollution of the water resources from mining and agricultural activities, budget constraints for community water committees, and limited representation of women and youth in water user associations. It also highlighted the risks posed by deforestation, livestock encroachment, and poor waste management, all of which threaten the sustainability of the basin. Importantly, the initiative-built capacity among local authorities, civil society, traditional leaders, and communities to integrate gender and youth voices into water resource management.
Adv. Philomena Mwalongo and Hon. Louis Chomboko
YOGE recommended formal recognition of community water and environment committees, stronger enforcement of protective regulations, harmonization of conflicting laws, and allocation of dedicated budgets for community‑led conservation. It calls for scaling up clean energy alternatives, continuous public education, and campaigns for reforestation and source protection. YOGE also emphasized the need for inclusive platforms that ensure at least 50% participation by women and 40% by youth, alongside cross‑border collaboration and knowledge sharing. Looking ahead, it urges government and partners to institutionalize these participatory approaches, allocate resources in the 2026/27 budget, and sustain education and advocacy efforts to safeguard the Ruvuma Basin as a cornerstone of livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience. Community voices reinforced these calls:
- The Guest of Honor, Acting Regional Administrative Secretary of Ruvuma, Hon. Louis Chomboko pledged government commitment to awareness creation and clean energy initiatives.
- Bishop John Ndimbo of Mbinga Roman Catholic Diocese of Mbinga emphasized integrating environmental education into school curricula to instill conservation values early.
- Fatuma Gawaza of Matogoro Ward urged support for women and youth to access capital for pumps and irrigation ponds, enabling farming outside the 60-meter buffer zone.
The Summit discussions and dialogue underscored ongoing challenges such as weak enforcement of environmental laws, political interference, violations of buffer zones, and widespread deforestation. From these reflections, participants recommended stronger advocacy for establishing an independent Ministry of Environment, mainstreaming environmental conservation into primary and secondary school curricula, and mobilizing additional resources for YOGE to extend the project’s reach. The aim is to move beyond the current 20,000 beneficiaries reached, recognizing that the Ruvuma Basin sustains the livelihoods of more than four million people.
The summit brought together Government officials from the Office of the Regional Commissioner of Ruvuma, District Commissioner of Mbinga and Songea, Mbinga Town Council, Songea Municipal Council, water resource management authorities, water user associations, religious institutions, forest reserve representatives, local community based local community, and the press demonstrating collective resolve to strengthen inclusive water governance and ensure sustainable livelihoods across the Ruvuma Basin.
The initiative forms part of the Inclusive Freshwater Governance for Sustainable Communities in the Ruvuma Basin “Voices for Water” Project, supported by IUCN through the BRIDGE Programme; where YOGE collaborated with a number of partners including Tanzania Media for Community Development (TAMCODE), the Ruvuma Southern and Coastal Water Basin Board, the Office of the Regional Commissioner of Ruvuma, The Office of District Commissioner of Mbinga, The Office of District Commissioner of Songea, Mbinga Town Council, Songea Municipal Council to implement the Voices for Water project in Ruvuma.
