1. INTRODUCTINON TO INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT Module 1 Session: What is Integrated Water Resources Management?

2. Module Objectives
Understand the main elements of an IWRM approach to sustainable management of water resources.
Learn the main basic functions for water resources management which need to be performed at the river basin scale to implement IWRM.
Discuss institutional arrangements and introduce a process-thinking to conduct the water resources management functions.

3. Session 1
IWRM Concept and Focus on Integrated River Basin Planning

4. IWRM
IWRM is primarily concerned with planning and management of a basin’s shared resources for the benefit of all of the basin states.
Its basis is that the many different uses of water resources are interdependent. That is evident to us all. High irrigation demands and polluted drainage flows from agriculture mean less freshwater for drinking or industrial use; contaminated municipal and industrial wastewater pollutes rivers and threatens ecosystems; if water has to be left in a river to protect fisheries and ecosystems, less can be diverted to grow crops.

6. Key Issues in Water Resource Management
Water governance crisis
Securing water for people
Securing water for food production
Protect vital ecosystems,
Gender disparities

7. Watershed Functions Economic Sustainable Develop- Ecological ment
The function of watersheds is the sustainable provision of goods and services.
Economic
Produce food, timber, fish, hydro power
Sustain livelihoods
Support income generation
Sustainable
Develop-
ment
Ecological
Ensure water flow and quality within the watershed and further downstream
Provide erosion control, soil fertility, biodiversity, clean air, carbon sequestration
Social and Cultural
Support indigenous culture and livelihoods
Provide recreational opportunities
Reference: Tuyll, C. 2007: MRC GTZ Watershed Management Programme – Consultative Meeting. Capacity Building Package 1. Power Point Presentation.

8. IWRM Framework

9. Major Components of IWRM
Enabling Environment
Policies – set goals for water use, protection and conservation.
Legislative framework – the rules to follow to achieve policies and goals.
Financing and incentive structures – allocate financial resources to meet water needs.
Management Instruments
the elements and methods that enable and help decision‐makers to make rational and informed choices between alternative actions
Institutional roles
this is ‘the range of political, social, economic and administrative systems that are in place

10. In the context of MRC
IWRM focuses on transboundary issues and issues which have implications for the basin as a whole
IWRM is built upon a strategic approach to managing shared resources which maximises the potential for the benefit for all basin states.

11. The Goal of Integrated River Basin Planning
The goal of Integrated River Basin Planning is to plan for the sustainable use and development of the water and related resources of a river basin.
This goal is consistent with the MRC 1995 Agreement
This goal recognises that the sustainable development of the people is linked to the sustainable development of the land and water

12. What is a River Basin ? Catchments are:
Towns
Highland areas
Dam
Agricultural land
Wetlands
Irrigation
Capture fishery
Catchments are:
the land area which collects the rainfall,
the main stem of the river, the tributaries and groundwater systems that carry the water;
the floodplain and the wetlands which receive the water

13. Relationships between Watersheds and Administrative Hierarchies
Government
Private
Sector
NGOs
User
Organisations
Country
Province
District
Commune
Energy
Interior
Agriculture
Forestry
Water
Resources
Rural
Development
Planning
Women's
Affairs
Land
Management
Horizontal consistency
Vertical consistency
National
River Basin
Organisation
Watershed
Committee
Catchment
Group
Regional
Institutional
consistency
Sectors Involved:
Reference: Tuyll, C. 2007: MRC GTZ Watershed Management Programme – Consultative Meeting Viet Nam April Power Point Presentation.

14. The Mekong Basin is an International River Basin
Each nation makes a contribution to water flow in the Mekong River:
China 16%
Myanmar 2%
Laos 35%
Thailand 18%
Cambodia 18%
Viet Nam 11%

15. The Mekong River Basin is an international river basin
Different governments are responsible for the planning and management of different parts of the Basin
River Basin plans must provide benefits to all nations
Benefits come from the use of the water resources of the Basin

16. Benefits come from
Water quantity
Water quality
Water flow regime

17. Session 2: Transboundary Impacts

18. People gain many benefits from the water which flows across boundaries but can also have impacts on water resources

19. 1 Table 1.1: Impact of water use sectors on water resources
Positive Impacts
Negative Impacts
Environment
Purification
Storage
Hydrological cycle
Agriculture
Return flows
Increased infiltration
Decreased erosion
Groundwater recharge
Nutrient recycling
Depletion
Pollution
Salinisation
Water logging
Erosion
Water supply & sanitation
High level of water security required
Surface and groundwater pollution 1

20. Why plan the Mekong River Basin ?
People now have a much greater impact on the quantity, quality and flow regime of the Mekong River
Population has grown
The way agriculture is produced is changing
There is increased development on the floodplains

21. Session 3: IWRM Principles and Steps in Integrated River Basin Planning

22. IWRM Principles: A meeting in Dublin in 1992
1: Fresh water is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development and the environment.
2: Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach, involving users, planners and policymakers at all levels.
3: Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water.
4: Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognised as an economic good as well as a social good.

23. The objectives of the Mekong River Integrated River Basin Plan are given in the MRC Agreement
Article 2: “promote, support, cooperate and coordinate in the development of the full potential of sustainable benefits to all riparian States and the prevention of wasteful use of the Mekong River Basin waters, with emphasis on joint and/or basin wide development projects….”
Key points:
Cooperation and coordination,
Sustainable benefits
Prevention of wasteful use
Emphasis on joint and/or basin wide development projects

25. Negoti ation Proce sses Institutional Development / Capacity Building
Governance
Policies / Rule of Law / Decentralisation, etc.
Maintenance of Watershed Functions
Negoti ation
Watershed Management System
Lessons Learnt
Standards
Monitoring
Planning
Land Use Planning,
District/Village Deve-lopment Planning, Watershed/Catchment Planning , etc.
Information
Management
Proce sses
Guidelines
Go through the slight as above
Implementation
Land Mgt, Forestry, Agriculture, etc.
Impact
Reference: Tuyll, C. 2005: Watershed Management in the Lower Mekong Basin – Setting the Scene. PPP. 2nd Policy Dialogue. Vientiane.