MRC – GTZ WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
Presented byDr. Simonetta Siligato
Biodiversity & Climate Change – Links with Poverty and Sustainable DevelopmentMelia Hotel, Hanoi - Vietnam, 22-23 May 2007
Integrated Watershed Management as a Strategy for Sustainable Use of Natural
Resources and Biodiversity Preservation
WSMP – Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007 2
The Mekong Basin- water contributors
(mean annual flow):
Introduction
- formed the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in 1995
Lower Mekong (82 %)Lao PDR – 35 %Cambodia – 18 %Thailand – 18 %Viet Nam – 11 %
Upper Mekong (18 %)China – 16 %Myanmar – 2 %
WSMP – Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007 3
Population growth
Challenges for the Region
Population growth: 2 % per year 100 mio by 2025
Associated with rapid population growth are the increase in urbanisation, economic development, pollution.
PovertySome of the riparian countries are among the poorest countries in the world, in Thailand people living in the Lower Mekong Basin have considerably lower income than the national average.
Water & food security50-80 % of the population in Laos and Cambodia do not have access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation.
WSMP – Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007 4
Climate Change
Challenges for the Region
most severe influence through temperature rise
More rapidly melting of Himalayan glaciers increase of water flow in dry season;
Direct negative influence on freshwater ecosystems – loss of aquatic species and biodiversity!
changed rainfall patterns and severe other changes in hydrology
disrupted monsoon patterns more rain but fewer rainy days, more people affected by drought
rising sea levels saline intrusion and freshwater loss in river delta systems
WSMP – Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007 5
Challenges for the Region
increase of negative impacts on the availability of water and aquatic resources, and on natural resources in general
Integrated watershed management may be a suitable tool for keeping this balance and a
strategy for sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity preservation !
growing pressure on natural resources potential source of conflict between people and countries
need for keeping the balance!
WSMP – Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007 6
= all the land contributing water to a river system, e.g. Mekong Basin
What is a river basin?
What is watershed management?
= land contributing water to a tributary of a river system; a river basin consist of several watersheds;
What is a watershed?
WSMP – Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007 7
top down
bottom upPolicy im-
plementation
MAINTAINANCE
OF WATERSHED
FUNCTIONS
Neg
oti
atin
g p
roce
ss b
etw
een
all
stak
eho
lder
sWhat is watershed management?Policies and arrangements, strategies and planning systems, implementation guidelines, monitoring procedures
Local needs & expectationssocial security , economic prosperity
Formulation of watershed functions, management guide-
lines, monitoring activities
Participatory processes
WSMP – Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007 8
= co-ordinated multi-stakeholder management of land, water and other resources within a region to maintain
watershed functions and assure water availability.
What is watershed management?
WSMP – Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007 9
sustain livelihoods
provide services as timber, water for hydropower production, irrigation, etc.
support income generation
being habitat to plants and animals, ensuring biodiversity, ecological cycles, etc.
providing water flow in required quantity and quality within the watershed and further downstream
support indigenous culture
provide recreational opportunities
provision of services, especially water in required quantity and qualityWatershed functions
Ecological
Economic
Social
sustainabledevelop-
ment
Government
Private Sector
NGO’s
UserOrganizations
Government
Private Sector
NGO’s
UserOrganizations
Government
Private Sector
NGO’s
UserOrganizations
Government
Private Sector
NGO’s
UserOrganizations
National Province Village
A D M I N I S T R A T I V E L E V E L S
District
Institutional / organisational consistency
NationalRiver Basin
Watershed
Catchment
RegionalRiver Basin
WSM levels of concern
Energy Interior
Agriculture ForestryWater
Resources
Rural Development
PlanningWomen Affairs
LandManagement
Consiste
ncy among se
ctors
11
Government
Private Sector
NGO’s
UserOrganizations
Government
Private Sector
NGO’s
UserOrganizations
Government
Private Sector
NGO’s
UserOrganizations
Government
Private Sector
NGO’s
UserOrganizations
National Province Village
A D M I N I S T R A T I V E L E V E L S
District
NationalRiver Basin
Watershed
Catchment
RegionalRiver Basin
Rational of WSM
To facilitate necessary processes to optimise:
consistencies in different sectors/disciplines
on the different administrative levels and
within the basin/catchment hierarchy
12WSMP – Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
WSMP – Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007 12
Value added of WSM
Ecological health, economic prosperity, social security
Sustainable development within the watershed
Ecological health, upstream – downstream relationship
Participatory process, local ownership, policy implementation
Well operating institutional / organisational framework
Establishment of a process accepted by all people involved
External sustainable development
Involvement of all relevant stakeholders
WSMP support to institutional development
Common understanding of watershed management
Institutional requirements in and for watersheds
Capacity building
Information management• awareness creation• information distribution• in depth training
Policy analysis and advice
Institutional development for sustainable watershed
management
14WSMP – Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
WSM & Climate Change?
WSM can substantially contribute to the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity:
15WSMP – Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
• watersheds and stream catchments, respectively, are treated as units
• WSM considers geographical units without denying the importance of administrative entities
• the WSM approach respects biological and ecological processes and complexity
• integration of different political and administrative units and sectors - successful and sustainable management is enabled
WSM & Climate Change?
• multiple uses of and interests in natural resources services create multiple management challenges climate change is expected to add to naturally occurring fluctuations!
• continuous adaptation is required and possible due to continuous negotiation processes intensive communication and negotiation is crucial
• increases the demand for institutional arrangements to define and manage natural resources services needed by society
• adaptation to changing environmental conditions will have to take place in a coordinated and long-term institutionalised manner
16WSMP – Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
WSM & Climate Change?
17WSMP – Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
Even though mitigation measures are immediately put into action, climate change effects are inevitable adaptation to changes is required!
Existing pressures on streams and rivers should be removed or at least minimized to improve resiliency, but:
• Which are the most practical strategies?
• Which is the appropriate governance level to do so?
Watershed management integrates a multitude of different
points of view with one common goal – the sustainable
management and preservation of natural resources functions
along with the preservation of biodiversity.
Special thank to:
Dr. Cornelis von Tuyll, programme coordinator,
Mr. Christoph Feldkötter, technical advisor,
the project coordination team in Vientiane, LAO PDR
the country offices in: Hanoi, Viet Nam
Vientiane, Lao PDR
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Bangkok, Thailand
MRC – GTZ WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
www.mrcmekong.org, www.mekonginfo.org
Thank you very much for your attention!