LVBC-SWP Team, in the Centre is Dr. Rodolfo Camacho, SWP USAID-Grantee, 22nd July 2019
Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and Sustainable Water Partnership (SWP) have commended outcomes from the existing partnership anchored on Memorandum of Understanding between two East African Community Partner States—United Republic of Tanzania and Republic of Kenya, signed 15th September 2015.
Meeting the LVBC Executive Secretary – Dr. Ally Said Matano, Dr. Rodolfo Camacho, Director, Sustainable Water Partnership-USAID Grantee, lauded LVBC support to SWP specifically providing the institutional base and garnering political goodwill of EAC Partner States. The meeting was held in LVBC Headquarters, Kisumu, Kenya, 22nd July 2019.
Dr. Rodolfo Camacho underscored the importance of LVBC-SWP Partnership as a central catalyst for realization of water security in Mara River Ecosystem. Water security is SWP’s overall goal. He noted that Mara River Ecosystem intrigued his interests and hence visiting the region two months after his ascension to the Directorate of the USAID funded Sustainable Water Partnership. He also expressed optimism that the achieved milestones such as Water Allocation Plan, Strategic Action Plan and others will contribute to the reduction of water security risks in Mara River Ecosystem. He however acknowledged the beauty and difficulty of managing interventions with transboundary dimensions. In the same respect, he shared lessons learned from steering similar project implemented in Cambodia.
LVBC Executive Secretary Dr. Ally Said Matano congratulated Dr. Rodolfo Camacho for his new leadership role and thanked him for prioritizing LVBC as evidenced by his visit within two months after assuming such an important leadership role. LVBC Executive Secretary shared with SWP Director the strategic importance of Mara River Ecosystem to “the global, regional, national and local actors. As a global resource – Mara River Ecosystem – was recently designated as one the World Wonders.”
To this end, “ the Sectoral Council of Ministers for Lake Victoria Basin designated 15th September of every year as a special day for celebrations of achieved conservation milestones,” Dr. Matano said, adding that, “USAID has been part of this great journey.”
Mara Day Celebrations aim at creating awareness, enhancing partnerships for sustainable conservation of Mara Ecosystem. Citing different challenges facing Mara River Ecosystem, Dr. Matano outlined several policy-related and practical interventions aimed at increasing attentions for sustainability of realized conservation milestones. He commended SWP for selecting Mara River region because of the existing development challenges and the region’s regional and global significance.
The Executive Secretary reiterated LVBC’s commitments to further strengthen partnership with SWP and build on the existing achievements. The meeting was attended by SWP’s Gordon Mumbo, Team Leader, Poly Ngoje, Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, Isaac Nyarwaya, LVBC Principal Resource Mobilization Officer, among other staff from LVBC and SWP.
The Sustainable Water Partnership (SWP) is a five-year USAID global program launched in October 2016. SWP seeks to improve the resilience of water resources and WASH services at the basin and sub-basin scale by addressing key water risks and implementing risk mitigation interventions by various actors
