MRC – GTZ WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME Presented by Dr. Simonetta Siligato Biodiversity & Climate Change – Links with Poverty and Sustainable Development.

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!