Lake Basin Lake Basin Management InitiativeManagement Initiative

Overview and LessonsOverview and Lessons

Dr. Dr. RafikRafik HirjiHirjiWorld BankWorld Bank

Fourth World Water ForumFourth World Water ForumMarch 18, 2006March 18, 2006

OUTLINEOUTLINE

Lake basin management initiativeLake basin management initiative

Lake basin management issuesLake basin management issues

Lessons in lake basin governanceLessons in lake basin governance

SummarySummary

LAKE BASIN MANAGEMENT LAKE BASIN MANAGEMENT INITIATIVEINITIATIVE

LBMI JustificationLBMI Justification

Lakes are central to livelihoods, Lakes are central to livelihoods, economy and aquatic bioeconomy and aquatic bio--diversitydiversity•• Contain 90% of worldContain 90% of world’’s surface s surface

freshwaterfreshwater•• Increasing human impactsIncreasing human impacts

Yet not receiving attention in Yet not receiving attention in global, national or local water global, national or local water discoursediscourseNew technical information on lakes, New technical information on lakes, but no gathering of experience but no gathering of experience from managementfrom management

LBMI ObjectivesLBMI Objectives

Documenting management experiences Documenting management experiences through lake basin case studies through lake basin case studies Facilitating the sharing of experiences Facilitating the sharing of experiences between decision makers and between decision makers and stakeholdersstakeholdersAccelerating learning and Accelerating learning and implementation of effective lake and implementation of effective lake and reservoir management experiencereservoir management experience

The 28 Study LakesThe 28 Study Lakes

Project OutputsProject OutputsLake Basin Management report Lake Basin Management report –– for lake basin for lake basin stakeholders stakeholders •• Analyses lessons learned from lake briefs Analyses lessons learned from lake briefs

CD of 28 lake briefsCD of 28 lake briefs•• Contains description of management experiences at Contains description of management experiences at

diverse lake basinsdiverse lake basins

17 thematic papers on cross17 thematic papers on cross--cutting or cutting or regional/global issuesregional/global issues•• Available on Available on ILECILEC’’ss websitewebsite

A report by the World Bank for the GEF and A report by the World Bank for the GEF and other financing agenciesother financing agencies

LAKE BASIN LAKE BASIN MANAGEMENT ISSUESMANAGEMENT ISSUES

Uses of LakesUses of Lakes•• FishingFishing•• Water supplyWater supply•• Waste disposalWaste disposal•• HydropowerHydropower•• TransportTransport•• Recessional Recessional

agricultureagriculture•• TourismTourism•• Cultural & Cultural &

religiousreligious

Uses of Lake BasinsUses of Lake BasinsRainfed agricultureRainfed agricultureIrrigated agricultureIrrigated agricultureLivestock grazingLivestock grazingIndustry Industry MiningMiningSettlementsSettlementsForestryForestry

Lake Basin ProblemsLake Basin ProblemsSummary in Table 3.2 (p. 22)Summary in Table 3.2 (p. 22)Most common:Most common:•• Excess sediment inputsExcess sediment inputs•• Basin stormwater dischargeBasin stormwater discharge•• Shoreline effluent dischargeShoreline effluent discharge•• NonNon--point source nutrientspoint source nutrients•• Unsustainable fishingUnsustainable fishing•• Introduced faunaIntroduced fauna•• Over abstractionsOver abstractions

About half problems arise in the basinAbout half problems arise in the basinMost lakes face multiple problemsMost lakes face multiple problemsIn general, lake basin problems not improvingIn general, lake basin problems not improvingSome successes on specific issues in both developed Some successes on specific issues in both developed and developing worldand developing world

In-lake

LittoralzoneBasin

Regional/global

Special Characteristics of LakesSpecial Characteristics of Lakes

Lakes have some special characteristics Lakes have some special characteristics •• Integrating natureIntegrating nature –– mixing means resources mixing means resources

and issues both spread throughout lakeand issues both spread throughout lake•• Long retention timesLong retention times –– slow to react to slow to react to

pollution; slow to respond to pollution; slow to respond to managementmanagement

•• Complex response Complex response dynamicsdynamics –– do not alwaysdo not alwaysrespond linearly to inputs,respond linearly to inputs,takes time and is costly takes time and is costly to reverse conditionsto reverse conditions

Nutrient Concentration

Plankton Concentration

A B

CD

Time

Time

Implications on Lake Basin Implications on Lake Basin ManagementManagement

Special characteristics of lakes meanSpecial characteristics of lakes mean

•• Integrating nature Integrating nature →→ manage across jurisdictionsmanage across jurisdictions

•• Long retention time Long retention time →→ long term commitmentlong term commitment→→ reliable fundingreliable funding

→→ monitoring monitoring

•• Complex dynamics Complex dynamics →→ role of sciencerole of science

→→ linking problems to causeslinking problems to causes

LESSONS IN LAKE BASIN LESSONS IN LAKE BASIN GOVERNANCEGOVERNANCE

1. POLICIES1. POLICIES

Policies Policies -- LessonsLessonsNational policies provide the foundation of National policies provide the foundation of good lake basin governancegood lake basin governanceLocal regulations are effective when there Local regulations are effective when there is a clear outcome, few affected is a clear outcome, few affected stakeholders, and social acceptance of stakeholders, and social acceptance of government decisionsgovernment decisionsEconomic instruments are flexible, cheap Economic instruments are flexible, cheap to implement, and can include the cost of to implement, and can include the cost of externalities, but are usually unpopular externalities, but are usually unpopular Overall, successful local policies (a) build Overall, successful local policies (a) build political will, (b) involve the stakeholders, political will, (b) involve the stakeholders, (c) ensure administrative sustainability, (c) ensure administrative sustainability, (d) are equitable, and (e) actively work (d) are equitable, and (e) actively work toward policy integrationtoward policy integration

2. INSTITUTIONS2. INSTITUTIONS

Institutions: Organization TypesInstitutions: Organization TypesFunctionsFunctions•• Resource developmentResource development

Irrigation agency; Hydropower company; Mining Irrigation agency; Hydropower company; Mining company; Fishing cooperativecompany; Fishing cooperative

•• Service deliveryService deliveryUrban water supply and sewerage company; Urban water supply and sewerage company;

•• RegulationRegulationEnvironment Protection Agency; Environment Protection Agency;

•• AdvisoryAdvisoryGreat Lakes Fisheries Commission; Zambezi Great Lakes Fisheries Commission; Zambezi Watercourse CommissionWatercourse Commission

•• CoordinationCoordinationLake Ohrid Management Board; Titicaca BiLake Ohrid Management Board; Titicaca Bi--national Authority; Coordinating Board for Lake national Authority; Coordinating Board for Lake TobaToba Ecosystem ConservationEcosystem Conservation

Institutions Institutions -- LessonsLessonsA single model does not fit all needsA single model does not fit all needsSuccessful institutions develop good linkages Successful institutions develop good linkages to communities and to to communities and to other institutionsother institutionsDecentralization Decentralization can help improve lake basin can help improve lake basin management if there is adequate technical management if there is adequate technical and administrative capacityand administrative capacityNGOs and NGOs and CBOsCBOs often play critical catalytic often play critical catalytic roles, particularly in enhancing community roles, particularly in enhancing community participationparticipationSuccessful transboundary lake basin Successful transboundary lake basin management depends on the member statesmanagement depends on the member states’’political will, commitment, and fulfillment of political will, commitment, and fulfillment of obligations, rather than the particular form obligations, rather than the particular form of institution or its legal statusof institution or its legal status

3. PARTICIPATION3. PARTICIPATION

Involving PeopleInvolving People

Information sharing

Consultation

Collaboration

Empowerment

Influence

Levels of involvementLevels of involvement

Involving People Involving People -- LessonsLessonsPublic participation providesPublic participation providesnumerous benefits including a numerous benefits including a greater acceptance of policiesgreater acceptance of policies

All affected stakeholders, powerful All affected stakeholders, powerful and marginalized, need to brought and marginalized, need to brought in the decision making process in the decision making process

Linking involvement in decisions Linking involvement in decisions with the improvement of livelihoods with the improvement of livelihoods is key to promoting participationis key to promoting participation

4. INFORMATION4. INFORMATION

Information Information -- LessonsLessonsInformation includes: (a) scientific, (b) socioInformation includes: (a) scientific, (b) socio--economic , and (c) traditional knowledgeeconomic , and (c) traditional knowledgeLong water residence times and complex response Long water residence times and complex response dynamics make longdynamics make long--term scientific commitment term scientific commitment particularly valuableparticularly valuableScientific information needs to be translated into theScientific information needs to be translated into thelanguage of decision makers and stakeholders if it is language of decision makers and stakeholders if it is to be fully applied in managementto be fully applied in managementThe GEFThe GEF--IW requirement to produce a diagnosis of IW requirement to produce a diagnosis of lake basin problems that is mutually agreed by lake basin problems that is mutually agreed by riparian countries appears to be successfulriparian countries appears to be successfulMonitoring has been used to both develop a baseline Monitoring has been used to both develop a baseline for the lake basin and to assess the effectiveness of for the lake basin and to assess the effectiveness of management interventionsmanagement interventionsScientific models are valuable: the complexity of the Scientific models are valuable: the complexity of the model needs to be matched to the capacities of the model needs to be matched to the capacities of the users, the available data, and the demands of the users, the available data, and the demands of the tasktask

5. TECHNOLOGY5. TECHNOLOGY

Technology Technology -- LessonsLessonsTechnological solutions almost always Technological solutions almost always need to be introduced with source controlneed to be introduced with source controlNonpointNonpoint--source problems, particularly source problems, particularly sediments, nutrients and agrosediments, nutrients and agro--chemicals chemicals can be tackled through longcan be tackled through long--term term communitycommunity--based approaches based approaches Scientific research has introduced some Scientific research has introduced some powerful technologies for LBM powerful technologies for LBM Coupling technologies to better operations,Coupling technologies to better operations,such as provisions for environmental flows,such as provisions for environmental flows,is a growing concern as more dams are is a growing concern as more dams are constructed constructed

5. FINANCE5. FINANCE

Mobilizing FinancesMobilizing FinancesWidespread problem of raising Widespread problem of raising financesfinancesLimited integration of priorities into Limited integration of priorities into budget processes is a key constraintbudget processes is a key constraintTwo main types of expenditures:Two main types of expenditures:•• Capital itemsCapital items•• OM&R costsOM&R costsThree sources:Three sources:•• Local (OM&R)Local (OM&R)•• National (capital items and OM&R)National (capital items and OM&R)•• International (capital items and strategic International (capital items and strategic

support)support)

Finances Finances –– Local SourcesLocal SourcesPayment for services provided by lake Payment for services provided by lake basin:basin:•• Fishing levyFishing levy•• Pollution chargesPollution charges•• Water abstraction chargesWater abstraction charges•• Tourism feesTourism feesIntroducing fees for services Introducing fees for services regarded as free goods is politically regarded as free goods is politically difficult, but achievabledifficult, but achievableLegal framework sometimes prevents Legal framework sometimes prevents local use of fundslocal use of funds

Finances Finances -- LessonsLessonsLocally generated funds (e.g. water user fees, Locally generated funds (e.g. water user fees, fish levies and pollution charges) can provide fish levies and pollution charges) can provide a stable source of finances a stable source of finances It is important that locally generated funds It is important that locally generated funds are retained locally and resource users are are retained locally and resource users are involved in establishing and administering the involved in establishing and administering the feesfeesNational funding, and external funds and National funding, and external funds and grants, are often used for capitalgrants, are often used for capital--intensive intensive investmentsinvestmentsExternal funds should play a catalytic for External funds should play a catalytic for implementing lake management programsimplementing lake management programsThe GEF is an important source of funds for The GEF is an important source of funds for establishing the enabling environment for establishing the enabling environment for lake basin managementlake basin management

SUMMARYSUMMARY

Key MessagesKey Messages

Lake Basin Management is critical for Lake Basin Management is critical for sustainable development and sustainable development and responsible economic growth responsible economic growth Lakes and their basins are fragile and Lakes and their basins are fragile and complex ecosystems under serious complex ecosystems under serious stressstressSuccessful management requires longSuccessful management requires long--term political and public commitmentterm political and public commitmentSuccessful management requires Successful management requires sustained financial commitmentsustained financial commitmentManagement approaches need to be Management approaches need to be responsive to changesresponsive to changes

A Major ChallengeA Major Challenge

Making integrated management of lake Making integrated management of lake basins a longbasins a long--term element of:term element of:Government and public prioritiesGovernment and public priorities

Planning Planning andand financing processesfinancing processes

Integrated water resources management Integrated water resources management

Habitat and biodiversity conservation Habitat and biodiversity conservation programsprograms

Economic development programsEconomic development programs