Consulting services for strengthening LVBC in Kisumu/Kenya and support services to EAC in Arusha/Tanzania in IWRM

The German Ministry of Economic cooperation and development (BMZ) is supporting the Secretariat of the East African Community (EAC) to implement a joint development cooperation program intitled "Support for the East African Community", with the overarching goal to deepen economic and social integration of the EAC partner countries. In November 2020, the two partners agreed to implement a technical cooperation project to strengthen the management of transboundary water resources in the Lake Victoria Basin through capacity development measures supporting the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) located in Kisumu, Kenya, and the EAC Secretariat located in Arusha, Tanzania. Additionally to the Lake Victoria Basin, the EAC region includes several other lake and river basins of regional importance. Water resource security in the Lake Victoria Basin is a prerequisite for regional economic development and integration. To realise this integration, development of competencies in integrated Water Resource Management (WRM) at a political and strategic level at the EAC is equally required. Improved coordination processes contribute to the harmonization of technical and administrative processes in the partner countries and thus promote mechanisms for avoiding or managing conflicts of interest. By strengthening the cooperation between regional and national institutions in the partner states, the technical cooperation module contributes to deepening of regional integration. The focus of the services required will be on (i) strengthening capacities of the EAC Secretariat to create framework conditions for transboundary WRM in the East Africa Community; (ii) strengthening the capacities of the LVBC Secretariat to perform its core functions in the field of integrated WRM; and (iii) strengthening of the cooperation between the LVBC and the key actors on integrated WRM in the five partner states of the LVBC. A team of experts shall be provided by the Contractor for this purpose. Close coordination and consultation with the GIZ project team in Arusha will be required.