About Water Resources Department

Mission

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:

1. 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;
2. Involves people and places them at the center of the process, consults widely with stakeholders to achieve the Policy objectives, and builds consensus;
3. Places environmental protection and the preservation of the country’s ecological heritage at the forefront of development;
4. Defines the necessary administrative structures and defines the procedures required to implement the Policy;
5. Outlines the precepts, scope and time scale for a new Water Resources Strategy, which will provide the Policy’s implementation platform;
6. Establishes a sound technical rational for managing water resources underpinned by verifiable information, and sound quantifiable hydro-meteorological and hydrogeological data;
7. Recommends a set of IWRM instruments for assessing and quantifying the available river basin yield (surface and subsurface) for a range of climatic scenarios;
8. 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;
9. Provides a long-term humanitarian vision for water resources management and development maximizing the use of social capital; and
10. Requires transparency and accountability of those responsible for the custodianship of the country’s water resources.

What The Department for Water Resources And Units Do

The DWR consists of five units namely;

1. Hydrology Division
2. Meteorology Division
3. Rural Water Supply Division
4. Water Quality Division
5. Communication and Data Analysis Division

The Department for Water Resources’ mandate is to;

• Collect and assess surface and groundwater data in both quantity, quality and in space and time;
• Provide guidance for the proper utilization and management of the national water resources;
• Provide flood and drought prediction and management;
• Observe, monitor and predict the weather and climate over the Gambia for the protection of lives and properties, contribute to sustainable development & meeting international commitments;
• Provide safe and clean water supply facilities for the rural and peri-urban communities;
• Sensitize communities on the operation and management of water supply facilities;
• Provide technical support for the design, construction and maintenance of water supply facilities; and
• Ensure that the nation’s quality of water is safe for use as desired to safeguard both the public and environmental health.