CoEB seminar series on Analyzing the Effects of International Water Engineering Projects in Rwanda

In recent decades, engineering organizations dedicated to providing international infrastructure assistance have increased in number. One such organization is Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB), which has implemented nine rainwater catchment systems in Northern Rwanda to help address water supply shortages in the region. Despite continued project planning, community experiences with this foreign intervention had not been previously studied in-depth. This mixed-methods research employed a combination of semi-structured interviews and surveys at three EWB catchment locations to determine the local impacts of international water projects and to define areas of improvement for future systems. Results showed that project impacts were largely positive, with the most notable being a 54% reduction of water collection time and a consequential increase in household productivity and school attendance. However, challenges were highlighted regarding the price and accessibility of certain sites. Participants indicated a strong preference for proximate sources of water, over other considerations. Future project designs should incorporate these findings as EWB and other international engineering organizations work toward increasingly sustainable infrastructure solutions.