Dr. Simonetta Siligato

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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

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The Mekong Basin- water contributors(mean
annual flow)
Introduction

• Upper Mekong (18 )
• China 16
• Myanmar 2

• Lower Mekong (82 )
• Lao PDR 35
• Cambodia 18
• Thailand 18
• Viet Nam 11

- formed the Mekong River Commission (MRC) in 1995
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Challenges for the Region
Population growth

• 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.
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Challenges for the Region
Climate Change

• most severe influence through temperature rise

More rapidly melting of Himalayan glaciers ?
increase of water flow in dry season

• 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!
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Challenges for the Region

• increase of negative impacts on the
  availability of water and aquatic resources, and
  on natural resources in general

• 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 !
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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
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What is watershed management?
Policy im-plementation
Policies and arrangements, strategies and
planning systems, implementation guidelines,
monitoring procedures
Negotiating process between all stakeholders
Participatory processes
Local needs expectations social security ,
economic prosperity
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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.
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Watershed functions

• provision of services, especially water in
  required quantity and quality

• sustain livelihoods
• provide services as timber, water for hydropower
  production, irrigation, etc.
• support income generation

sustainable develop- ment

• 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

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WSM levels of concern
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Rational of WSM
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WSMP Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
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Value added of WSM

• Sustainable development within the watershed

Ecological health, economic prosperity, social
security

• External sustainable development

Ecological health, upstream downstream
relationship

• Involvement of all relevant stakeholders

Participatory process, local ownership, policy
implementation

• Establishment of a process accepted by all
  people
• involved

Well operating institutional / organisational
framework
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WSMP support to institutional development
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WSMP Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
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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

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WSMP Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
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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

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WSMP Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
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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.
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WSMP Melia Hanoi, 22-23 May 2007
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Special thank toDr. Cornelis von Tuyll,
programme coordinator,Mr. Christoph Feldkötter,
technical advisor,the project coordination team
in Vientiane, LAO PDRthe country offices in
Hanoi, Viet Nam Vientiane, Lao PDR Phnom
Penh, Cambodia Bangkok, Thailand
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