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Training Program on Integrated Water Resources Management and Strengthening of River Basin Committees

26 July - 6 August 2004
Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand

Post Workshop Statement

Background

Integrated water resources management (IWRM) needs partnerships for actions. And such partnerships need support through knowledge sharing and capacity building. Recognizing this need, the ADB, ADB Institute, and Japan Water Agency (JWA; formerly Water Resources Development Public Corporation) jointly established the Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO) to share knowledge and build capacity for IWRM in river basins throughout Asia. NARBO was established through a letter of intent signed on 21 March 2003 during the 3^rd World Water Forum, and launched in November 2003 at the 1st South East Asian Water Forum in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

NARBO's initial action plan -- focusing on advocacy, capacity building, and network support-- was formulated in February 2004 during the 1^st NARBO General Meeting.

Among the prioritized capacity-building activities in the action plan are training courses on IWRM. This initial training program in Thailand is significant for NARBO because Thailand's participatory approach to IWRM, together with its success in institutionalizing the IWRM process through planning and budgetary instruments, is unique and highly relevant to other developing member countries.

Thailand has introduced IWRM into the management of water as well as other natural resources. To decentralize decision-making and responsibility to the stakeholders in the river basins, it also evolved a process that included the stakeholders in the design of RBC organizational structure and functions. The Thai Government also authorized the establishment of River Basin Committees (RBC) for all 25 major river basins, and started to delegate the authority to the RBC with respect to preparing river basin plans and approving projects in the basin for budget allocation.

It is therefore a good opportunity to share the Thai experiences with water-related professionals in the region, so that the process can be better understood, and improvements defined.

Objectives

• Equip water-related professionals in the region with a good understanding of the IWRM concepts
• Discuss case studies and field experiences on actual water management at basin and country levels
• Enable participants to integrate the IWRM concepts into the planning process

Expected Outputs

• Daily written report of what participants have learned
• Analysis of the various project sites visited with respect to the application of IWRM concepts
• Individual strategies or action plans for either organizational or country level and an outline/roadmap to put IWRM into practice
• Group presentation of project assignment

Program

The first week of the program focused on the concepts and implementation process. Case studies in Japan and Thailand were presented. Open discussions rather than lectures were the primary methodology. The topics covered were

• Basic principles of IWRM;
• Process of integrating IWRM into the management procedure;
• Evolving process in establishing river basin organizations (RBOs); and
• Capacity building of RBOs.

On the second week, the participants were exposed to successful community-based management projects as well as a small watershed management project in the northeastern part of Thailand, which is a new initiative of H.M. the king of Thailand. The participants had the opportunity to discuss and exchange views with the local leaders and water users groups.

The participants also had dialogues with RBOs for first-hand information.

Participants were grouped and each group gave a presentation on a project assignment given in advance.

View complete program.

Download brochure [PDF: 177Kb | 14 pages]

Target Participants

The target participants of the training program are

• middle- to senior-level officials with at least 15 years of experience, are engaged in water resources management, and have the commendable influence in the water and sanitation sector; and
• are willing and committed to take responsibility to promote and pursue the IWRM approach for managing the water resources in their respective organizations or countries.

The maximum number of participants is 30 but should not be less than 20 to have an effective training program. Target participants will come from Southeast Asia NARBO members (a succeeding training program will be for South Asia NARBO members), with the following representation: 15 from RBOs, 10 from government agencies, and 5 from NGOs.

For applicants who are not fluent in English, assistance in interpreting can be arranged by the organizers, provided they are informed in advance.

Training Fees

Training costs will be shared by JWA, ADB, ADBI, Thailand Water Resources Association, the participants, and other supporting organizations.

NARBO member organizations proposing training candidates will be required to contribute a registration fee not exceeding $250 in cash from their own resources, which can include ongoing technical assistance projects. This requirement was adopted to ensure the ownership and contributions of NARBO members in the network's activities and will serve as precedent for the design of further NARBO activities. The fee covers (i) training materials, including a CD version of the training materials and report; (ii) local transport cost by bus, Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Bangkok; and (iii) lodging. Airfare (international and local) and per diem should be borne by the sponsor of the participant.

Certificate of Completion

Participants who successfully completed the course requirements were awarded a Certificate of Completion.

Related Link

• ADB and Japan-Sponsored Water Management Training Set to Begin

Contacts

Dr. Apichart Anukularmphai
Thailand Water Resources Association
Tel: +66-2 524-5558
Fax: +66-2 524-6425
E-mail: gwp_seatac@ait.ac.th

Dr. Takeyoshi Sadahiro
Japan Water Agency
Tel: 81-48-853-1785
Fax: 81-48-855-1695
E-mail: takeyoshi_sadahiro@water.go.jp