1. The Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency Managing strategically and adaptively Kevin Rogers and Thomas Gyedo-Ababio 1.5 million people 2 International borders 3 District Municipalities 10 Local Municipalities 26 Irrigation Boards 35% area is nature reserves 37% area is agriculture 14% forestry 6% irrigation 20% semi-urban to dense rural communities High poverty and illiteracy levels ETC!!!!

2. 2009 Small, extremely dedicated staff and Governing Board conflict Functions had not been assigned and DWA “apron strings” firmly tied No operations budget (and for one year no budget at all) 2 years of “building the institution” and establishing forums Business and other plans written by outsiders “for” not “with” staff Plans based on stepwise achievement of policy directives Policy directives are “end” objectives but no “means” objectives Stakeholder engagement “there” but not explicitly central Inter-Stakeholder and stakeholder-ICMA/DWA conflict Stakeholder fatigue setting in because Forums had “nowhere to go” Staff morale dropping very fast but dedication remained for most

3. Commercial farmers Emerging farmers Municipalities/Domestic Industry Water user associations Catchment management forums Water service providers Traditional leaders Community based organisations Mining Forestry and sugar co-ops Non-governmental organisations Provisional and National conservation Tourism Government departments (including DWA) International stakeholders Inkomati CMA STAKEHOLDER GROUPS IN THE INKOMATI WATER MANAGEMENT AREA Academia Environmental and hydrological professionals

4. Current state Many factors affect the both the trajectory and the desired “system” S – Social T – Technical E – Economic E – Environmental P – Political Highly variable and/or uncertain Getting to a shared future Decision outcomes are largely driven by peoples’ value systems. Achieving a shared understanding of the VSTEEP System is imperative for decision making. V – Values Desired “system” that “changes” Reality Management of Common Pool Resources “Efficient” but Naïve Approach

5. S – Social T – Technical E – Economic E – Environment P – Political Shared future that “changes” Shared value set. V – Values Common Pool Resources Vital attributes Determinants Threats Context STEEP V-STEEP Analysis Strategic Adaptive Management Select VISION PREDICT EVALUATE SELECT 1 3 2 4 6 LEARN 5 7 Adaptive Decision Making 3 1 Objectives Hierarchy Obj. 1 Obj. 3 Vision Obj. 2 2b2b 2a2a Adaptive Planning 2 ValuesContext Vision Vital Attributes Determinants Threats Monitoring and Adaptive goal revision 4 Research Operations Models TPC Monitoring Decision Shared Rationality

6. Adaptive Planning of a Shared Future VALUES/ PRINCIPLES List vital attributes Determinants, threats, constraints Evaluate attributes Objectives Prioritize Objectives Expected outcomes DESIRED FUTURE CONTEXT Scoping the decision making environment Understanding the “V-STEEP” system to be managed Where we want to go (ends) and how to get there (means)

7. Problems of 2009 were mostly in the past by 2011 Especially better working relations with Gov. Board, DWA and all stakeholder bodies Adaptive Planning with new paradigm thinking re-orientated ICMA to operational and participative IRWM Became focussed on a shared (V-STEEP) future Became thoroughly stakeholder centred Realigned all Plans to meet operational and stakeholder needs with both ends and means objectives Established an Equity Working Group Regular “learning/unlearning” sessions, amongst other activities, help CMA manage strategically and adaptively

9. S – Social T – Technical E – Economic E – Environment P – Political Shared future that “changes” Shared value set. V – Values Common Pool Resources Vital attributes Determinants Threats Context STEEP V-STEEP Analysis Strategic Adaptive Management Select VISION PREDICT EVALUATE SELECT 1 3 2 4 6 LEARN 5 7 Adaptive Decision Making 3 1 Objectives Hierarchy Obj. 1 Obj. 3 Vision Obj. 2 2b2b 2a2a Adaptive Planning 2 ValuesContext Vision Vital Attributes Determinants Threats Monitoring and Adaptive goal revision 4 Research Operations Models TPC Monitoring Decision Shared Rationality