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Water Partnerships
Pilot Studies on Effective Integrated Water Resources Management Practices

Background

ADB's water policy, Water for All, promotes integrated water resources management (IWRM) as a tool for meeting the challenges of water scarcity, pollution, and degradation of watersheds and ecosystems. One way of doing this is to highlight and enhance existing innovative practices at the local level, particularly those initiated by NGOs or communities.

Under the Water Partnerships category of the Cooperation Fund for the Water Sector Program, ADB partnered with the Global Water Partnership Southeast Asia Technical Advisory Committee (GWP SEATAC) to document and improve innovative local IWRM initiatives in the Southeast Asia region.

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Objectives

The specific aims of the project were to:

  • Document local experiences, successes and lessons learned in community management of water resources
  • Conduct dialogues and/or information dissemination activities to strengthen local community and institutional capabilities in IWRM
  • Provide support/seed funds to local NGOs and community development institutions in initiating and/or enhancing IWRM activities in the area

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Scope

The project was implemented from October 2002- May 2003, and covered 4 pilot activities:

  1. People's Irrigation Communities (Muang Fai) Conservation and Development Project at Maei Klang Sub-River Basin, Thailand - this focused on empowering traditional irrigators' associations by linking capacity building efforts with traditional irrigation practices

  2. Integrated Watershed Management through People's Participation in Upper Mae Yom, Phayao Province, Thailand - this focused on harnessing people's participation for the protection of the Mae Yom Watershed by applying spiritual beliefs to harmonize their efforts

  3. Integrated Water Resources Management: Practical Experiences and Successful Lessons in the Bac Kan Province, Vietnam - this focused on the institutional arrangements for water management, and the roles that local communities and basin communities could play in improving water management

  4. Documenting Local Experiences in Community Management of Water Resources: Case Studies on IWRM in Lao PDR - this focused on promoting IWRM understanding and appreciation among users and water stakeholders