MRC GTZ WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME Integrated Watershed Management

MRC – GTZ WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME Integrated Watershed Management as a Strategy for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Biodiversity Preservation Presented by Dr. Simonetta Siligato Biodiversity & Climate Change – Links with Poverty and Sustainable Development Melia Hotel, Hanoi - Vietnam, 22 -23 May 2007 WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007

Introduction The Mekong Basin - water contributors (mean annual flow): Ø Upper Mekong (18 %) China – 16 % Myanmar – 2 % Ø Lower Mekong (82 %) Lao PDR – 35 % Cambodia – 18 % Thailand – 18 % Viet Nam – 11 % - formed the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in 1995 WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 2

Challenges for the Region Population growth Ø Population growth: 2 % per year 100 mio by 2025 Associated with rapid population growth are the increase in urbanisation, economic development, pollution. Poverty Some 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 security 50 -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 3

Challenges for the Region Climate Change Ø most severe influence through temperature rise More rapidly melting of Himalayan glaciers increase of water flow in dry season; Ø 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 Direct negative influence on freshwater ecosystems – loss of aquatic species and biodiversity! WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 4

Challenges for the Region Ø increase of negative impacts on the availability of water and aquatic resources, and on natural resources in general Ø growing pressure on natural resources potential source of conflict between people and countries need for keeping the balance! Integrated watershed management may be a suitable tool for keeping this balance and a strategy for sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity preservation ! WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 5

What is watershed management? What is a river basin? = all the land contributing water to a river system, e. g. Mekong Basin What is a watershed? = land contributing water to a tributary of a river system; a river basin consist of several watersheds; WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 6

top down Policy implementation bottom up Negotiating process between all stakeholders What is watershed management? Participatory processes Policies and arrangements, strategies and planning systems, implementation guidelines, monitoring procedures Formulation of watershed functions, management guidelines, monitoring activities MAINTAINANCE OF WATERSHED FUNCTIONS Local needs & expectations social security , economic prosperity WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 7

What is watershed management? = co-ordinated multi-stakeholder management of land, water and other resources within a region to maintain watershed functions and assure water availability. WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 8

Watershed functions Ø provision of services, especially water in required quantity and quality Economic ü sustain livelihoods Ecological ü being habitat to plants and animals, ensuring biodiversity, ecological cycles, etc. ü providing water flow in required quantity and quality within the watershed and further downstream WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 ü provide services as timber, water for hydropower production, irrigation, etc. sustainable development ü support income generation ü support indigenous culture Social ü provide recreational opportunities 9

WSM levels of concern ADMINISTRATIVE National LEVELS District Province Village Government Regional River Basin Private Sector NGO’s Water Resources Forestry Agriculture User Organizations Government National River Basin Private Sector Rural Development User Organizations y Watershed c n e c g Energy on am t is Land Management ns o C s r to NGO’s se Government Private Sector Interior NGO’s User Organizations Planning Government Women Affairs Private Sector Catchment NGO’s User Organizations Institutional / organisational consistency WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 11

Rational of WSM ADMINISTRATIVE National Province LEVELS District Village Government Regional River Basin Private Sector NGO’s User Organizations To facilitate necessary Governmentprocesses to optimise: National River Basin Private Sector NGO’s Ø consistencies in different sectors/disciplines User Organizations Governmentlevels and Ø on the different administrative Sector hierarchy Ø within the basin/catchment Watershed Private NGO’s User Organizations Government Catchment Private Sector NGO’s User Organizations WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 WSMP – Melia Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 12

Value added of WSM ü Sustainable development within the watershed Ecological health, economic prosperity, social security ü External sustainable development Ecological health, upstream – downstream relationship ü Involvement of all relevant stakeholders Participatory process, local ownership, policy implementation ü Establishment of a process accepted by all people involved Well operating institutional / organisational framework WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007 12

WSMP support to institutional development Common understanding of watershed management Institutional requirements in and for watersheds Information management • awareness creation • information distribution • in depth training Policy analysis and advice Capacity building Institutional development for sustainable watershed management WSMP 22 -23 May 2007 WSMP –– Hanoi, Melia Hanoi, May 2007 14

WSM & Climate Change? WSM can substantially contribute to the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity: • 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 WSMP 22 -23 May 2007 WSMP –– Hanoi, Melia Hanoi, May 2007 15

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 WSMP 22 -23 May 2007 WSMP –– Hanoi, Melia Hanoi, May 2007 16

WSM & Climate Change? 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. WSMP 22 -23 May 2007 WSMP –– Hanoi, Melia Hanoi, May 2007 17

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 WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007

Thank you very much for your attention! MRC – GTZ WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME www. mrcmekong. org, www. mekonginfo. org WSMP – Hanoi, 22 -23 May 2007