Department of Water Resources for The Gambia

The Department of Water Resources' (DWR) Mission is to “regulate and manage the sustainable utilization of water resources, coordinate related policies and provide timely and accurate weather and climate data and information to safeguard population and promote food security through effective participation, monitoring and awareness creation for overall socio-economic development of The Gambia.

Vision

The Vision of DWR is to achieve “a sustainable water resources, weather and climate Management system for all by all.

The DWR was established as a result of the water act (1979). The overarching Policy objectives are the establishment of a manageable and inclusive water resources framework based on IWRM principles, and the promotion of an enabling environment enforced through the rule of law that:

Acknowledges that access to water is a common right, which is held in trust by the Government on behalf of the people of The Gambia; Involves people and places them at the center of the process, consults widely with stakeholders to achieve the Policy objectives, and builds consensus; Places environmental protection and the preservation of the country’s ecological heritage at the forefront of development; Defines the necessary administrative structures and defines the procedures required to implement the Policy; Outlines the precepts, scope and time scale for a new Water Resources Strategy, which will provide the Policy’s implementation platform; Establishes a sound technical rational for managing water resources underpinned by verifiable information, and sound quantifiable hydro-meteorological and hydrogeological data; Recommends a set of IWRM instruments for assessing and quantifying the available river basin yield (surface and subsurface) for a range of climatic scenarios; Describes a process whereby demand can be balanced against available resources, and a framework developed within which equitable and sustainable decisions can be taken on water allocation; Provides a long-term humanitarian vision for water resources management and development maximizing the use of social capital; and Requires transparency and accountability of those responsible for the custodianship of the country’s water resources.