Handbook Offers Advice on Basin Resource Management
The Global Water Partnership (GWP) and the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) combined their efforts to write a “Handbook on Integrated Water Resources Management in Basins,” which was presented at the World Water Forum of Istanbul.
The purpose of the book, which required nearly a year of work by more than 100 GWP and INBO network professionals, is to provide useful advice on the governance of fresh water resources in basins, using practical examples of projects already undertaken in various countries.
Its drafting was supervised by a Working Group, jointly chaired by Jean-François Donzier (INBO) and Martin Walshe (GWP) and made up of Hartmut Brühl (GWP Technical Committee), Oscar de Moraes Cordeiro Netto (Latin-American Network of Basin Organizations), Teodoro Estrela (Mediterranean Network of Basin Organizations), Alan Hall (Special Adviser to GWP), Vadim Sokolov (regional Water Partnership for Central Asia and Caucasus) and Reginald Tekateka (African Network of Basin Organizations and GWP Southern Africa). It was coordinated by Aurélie Vitry for GWP and Daniel Valensuela for INBO. Close coordination was made with the work started by UNESCO on the same issue.
The handbook, addresses basin managers, water professionals, and representatives of public governing authorities who have to make decisions related to water management and who must protect aquatic ecosystems, while trying to limit conflicts between the various users. The handbook also concerns non-governmental stakeholders (NGOs, professional organizations, users’ associations) concerned about water uses or environmental protection and which are involved in activities in basins.
Published in French and English, the handbook was supported by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Free electronic versions are available at http://www.riob.org/gwp/handbook/GWP-INBOHandbookForIWRMinBasins.pdf. The printed version or CD-ROM can be requested free of charge, within the limit of the available stock, by e-mails to gwp@gwpforum.org or riob@riob.org.