INTRODUCTION

1. INTRODUCTION Integrated Water Resources Management for River Basin Organisations.

2. Purpose • assist River Basin Organisations (RBOs) achieve efficiency and effectiveness in the management of water resources.

3. Background • Many RBOs are new. • Case studies show many operational problems with water resources management. • It is not clear to many what IWRM means on the ground. • This is a foundation training programme developed to address key functions and introduce output indicators.

4. Summary of case study findings • Lack of understanding as to what constitutes a RBO and what are the functions of water resources management. • Lack of autonomy of RBOs and lack of recognition of the role of stakeholders; • Financial management not at basin level and opportunity to use financial tools therefore limited.

5. Summary of case study findings • Lack of resources and responsibility limit the RBO engagement with the full range of water resource management functions. • Monitoring and enforcement hardly practised.

6. Structure • Course structured around the core functions for management of water resources in a basin – these are primarily regulatory. • Indicators are introduced as a means to measure progress with IWRM and also RBO performance.

7. Learning objectives • Practitioners will improve their knowledge on river basin management and be able to apply the knowledge directly to their institution. • Trainers have strengthened knowledge to deliver training and develop capacity of RBOs. • Peer to peer exchanges of problems and solutions will enhance knowledge and improve performance of participants

8. Outcomes • RBO staff will improve their work performance and that of their organisation by introducing some of their learning into practice. • A practical set of simple indicators will be developed and applied to implement IWRM at basin level