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E S C A P ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

GOOD PRACTICES ONSTRATEGIC PLANNING AND

MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

National Water Committee

River Basin Committees

Role Definition

MWA PWA EastWater

LocalGovernments

MACRO POLICYLEVEL, e.g.

SECTORAL LEVEL(Networked institutions), e.g.

AGENCY LEVEL, e.g.

Role Definition

Irrigation Water Supply Water Pollution Control

CoordinationCoordination

Strategic Collaborative Planning and Management

Strategic Functional Planning and Management

Water Resources SeriesNo. 85

ESCAP is the regional development arm of the United Nations and serves as the main economicand social development centre for the United Nations in Asia and the Pacific. Its mandate is tofoster cooperation between its 53 members and 9 associate members. ESCAP provides thestrategic link between global and country-level programmes and issues. It supportsGovernments of the region in consolidating regional positions and advocates regionalapproaches to meeting the region’s unique socio-economic challenges in a globalizing world.The ESCAP office is located in Bangkok, Thailand. Please visit our website at www.unescap.orgfor further information.

The shaded areas of the map represent ESCAP members and associate members.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

United Nations

New York, 2005

GOOD PRACTICES ON

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND

MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Water Resources SeriesNo. 85

This document has been issued without formal editing

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the

expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning

the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation

of its frontiers or boundaries. Mention of firm names and commercial products does not imply the

endorsement of the United Nations.

This publication was prepared by Mr. Ti Le-Huu of the Water Resources Section, Environment and

Sustainable Development Division of ESCAP in cooperation with various national water resources

experts participating in the implementation of the project on “Capacity-building in Strategic Planning

and Management of Natural Resources in Asia and the Pacific”. The views expressed are those of

the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or of the Governments of

the countries concerned.

United Nations publication

Sales No. E.06.II.F.8

Copyright United Nations 2006

All rights reserved

Manufactured in Thailand

ISBN: 92-1-120460-7

ISSN: 0082-8130

ST/ESCAP/SER.F/85

GOOD PRACTICES ON STRATEGIC PLANNING

AND MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Water Resources Series

No. 85

iii

CONTENTS

Page

Foreword .................................................................................................................................. ix

PART I: INTRODUCTION TO THE APPLICATION OF STRATEGIC PLANNING

AND MANAGEMENT TO WATER RESOURCES

A. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 3

1. Background ........................................................................................................ 3

2. Lessons from the application of SPM to water resources ................................ 6

B. Principles adopted for application of SPM to water resources ........................... 7

1. Necessity of SPM for water resources development ........................................ 7

2. Key elements/components and issues of SPM................................................. 8

3. Initiation and implementation of SPM................................................................ 8

C. Concluding remarks on application of SPM to water resources ......................... 10

1. Contribution of SPM approaches to the development of IWRM plans ............. 10

2. Expectations from SPM ..................................................................................... 11

PART II: EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICES

D. Strategic planning and management of water resources in the Haihe and

Huaihe River basins of China ................................................................................... 15

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 15

I. Key national components of the integral strategic planning and management

of water resources development in the Haihe River basin ............................... 18

II. Integrated strategic plan for the Huaihe River basin ........................................ 34

III. Summary of water resources management goals linked to the socio-

economic development targets of China ........................................................... 46

IV. Consultation mechanisms and initial findings ................................................... 50

E. Strategic plan – Integrated water resources development for the Nadi River

basin, Fiji ..................................................................................................................... 54

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 54

I. Government policy ............................................................................................. 55

II. Features of the Nadi River basin ....................................................................... 56

III. Strategic plan goals ........................................................................................... 60

IV. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation ...................................................... 63

V. Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 65

F. Strategic planning for integrated water resources management in the Lao

People’s Democratic Republic ................................................................................. 66

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 66

I. Summary of the goals linked to socio-economic development targets ............ 68

II. Legal and institutional framework ...................................................................... 71

iv



V. Consultation mechanisms and initial findings ................................................... 86

VI. Conclusions and recommendations .................................................................. 88

G. Strategic planning and management of water resources in Malaysia: Langat

River basin case study .............................................................................................. 89

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 89

I. Background of the Langat River basin .............................................................. 89

II. Objective of the workshop ................................................................................. 89

III. Outcome of the workshop .................................................................................. 90

IV. Integrated river basin management (IRBM) ...................................................... 92

V. Benefits of SPM approach ................................................................................. 94

VI. Challenges of SPM approach ............................................................................ 96

VII. Plans for sustaining SPM approach .................................................................. 96

VIII. Concluding remarks ........................................................................................... 97

H. Strategic plan on integrated water resources management in Myanmar ........... 98

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 98







I Strategic plan of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources .......... 117

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 117







J. National Water Resources Board: Strategic planning and management of

integrated water resources management in the Philippines ................................ 137

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 137







CONTENTS (continued)

Page

v

K. Outline of the strategic plan to establish a National Water Resources

Authority of Sri Lanka ............................................................................................... 160

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 160

I. National water sector context ............................................................................ 160

II. Main issues and challenges .............................................................................. 163

III. National water policy .......................................................................................... 167

IV. Sectoral water strategies ................................................................................... 170

V. Institutional reforms ............................................................................................ 178

VI. Strategy to achieve integrated water resources management goals ............... 186

VII. Water and national development ....................................................................... 191

VIII. Water resources management financing ........................................................... 192

IX. Strategies and main outputs .............................................................................. 195

X. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation ...................................................... 195

L. Water resources management strategies and action plans of Thailand ............ 202

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 202

I. Approach ............................................................................................................ 202

II. Process............................................................................................................... 202

III. Output ................................................................................................................. 202

M. Strategic plan for integrated water resources management of the Vu Gia-Thu

Bon Basin Organization ............................................................................................ 213

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 213

I. Successes and constraints, opportunities and challenges in water resources

development in Viet Nam................................................................................... 213

II. Water resources in the Vu Gia-Thu Bon River basin ........................................ 218

III. Current and projected socio-economic development ....................................... 221

IV. Opportunities and challenges in sustainable water resources management

in the Vu Gia-Thu Bon River basin .................................................................... 225

V. Organization and legal framework ..................................................................... 227

VI. Proposed River Basin Organization .................................................................. 229

VII. Action programme .............................................................................................. 230

VIII. Conclusions and recommendations .................................................................. 234

N. Experiences in water resources management: Survey of issues for water

resources management in the Pacific Subregion .................................................. 236

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 236

I. Surface water and groundwater resources ....................................................... 237

II. Climatic impact on water resources .................................................................. 238

III. Surface water development and storage .......................................................... 239

IV. Environment trends relevant to water resources .............................................. 240

V. Social and economic trends and the water sector ............................................ 240

VI. Development of water resources ....................................................................... 241


Page

vi

VII. Water quality ...................................................................................................... 243

VIII. Management of watersheds .............................................................................. 244

IX. Water information, assessment and monitoring ................................................ 245

X. Information management ................................................................................... 246

XI. Planning in the water sector .............................................................................. 247

XII. Technical capacity .............................................................................................. 247

XIII. Administrative and management capacity ........................................................ 248

XIV. Institutional factors ............................................................................................. 248

XV. Cultural and social issues .................................................................................. 249

XVI. Legislation .......................................................................................................... 250

XVII. International and regional organizations ........................................................... 252

XVIII. Water resources management issues ............................................................... 253

XIX. Water management issues (small islands) ....................................................... 256

XX. Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 256

LIST OF TABLES

D.1 Related provincial development targets ...................................................................... 18

D.2 Economic losses caused by flooding in the Huaihe River basin ................................ 34

E.1 Major economic indicators, Fiji Islands, 2001-2005 .................................................... 58

E.2 Composition of GDP components and growth rates ................................................... 59

E.3 Fiji macroeconomic data profile ................................................................................... 59

G.1 Lead agencies .............................................................................................................. 93

I.1 Annual discharge of western rivers at rim stations ..................................................... 118

I.2 Estimated groundwater resources ............................................................................... 118

I.3 Indicators and benchmarks for helping to achieve targets in five-year/perspective

development plans ....................................................................................................... 130

J.1 Water demand in major cities of the Philippines (m3/year) ......................................... 138

J.2 Volume of water extraction based on water right grantees ........................................ 139

J.3 Priority activities proposed by NWRB and other water-related agencies ................... 152

K.1 Policy components and issues to be resolved ............................................................ 168

K.2 Issues raised to defeat the policy initiative.................................................................. 169

K.3 Latest service coverage estimates (2001 census and NWSDB corporate plan) ....... 172

K.4 Incremental performance of NWSDB operations ........................................................ 172

K.5 Corporate plan goals and investment plan .................................................................. 172

K.6 Sri Lankan rice production, rice imports and rate of self-sufficiency in rice for

selected years .............................................................................................................. 175

K.7 Institutional recommendations in the policy, 2000 ...................................................... 180


Page

vii

K.8 Core functional areas during the interim period of establishing the National Water

Resources Authority ..................................................................................................... 181

K.9 Foreign-assisted projects implemented ....................................................................... 183

K.10 Legal mandate of NWRA under the provisions of the Water Resources Act ............. 184

K.11 Capacity-building areas for IWRM ............................................................................... 190

K.12 Water sector functional analysis .................................................................................. 193

K.13 Current investment parameters ................................................................................... 194

M.1 Main socio-economic development objectives of Quang Nam Province and Da

Nang City, 1996-2000 .................................................................................................. 221

M.2 Projected socio-economic development parameters by 2010 Da Nang City and

Quang Nam Province ................................................................................................... 224

N.1 Countries of the Pacific subregion ............................................................................... 236

N.2 Recommendations of the Workshop on Technologies for Maximizing and

Augmenting Freshwater Resources in Small Islands, Suva, 1996 ............................. 255

N.3 Strategic Action Programme goal: Integrated sustainable development and

management of international waters ........................................................................... 258

LIST OF FIGURES

G.1 Issues and correlations ................................................................................................ 91

G.2 Plan of actions .............................................................................................................. 92

G.3 Expected outcomes ...................................................................................................... 94

G.4 Priority short term plans ............................................................................................... 95

G.5 Group conclusions and recommendations .................................................................. 96

K.1 Self-sufficiency in rice in Sri Lanka.............................................................................. 176

K.2 Organization chart of the National Water Resources Authority .................................. 180

LIST OF MAPS

G.1 Langat River basin base map ...................................................................................... 90

I.1 Location map of Pakistan ............................................................................................ 134

M.1 Vu Gia-Thu Bon River basin base map ....................................................................... 235


Page

LIST OF TABLES (continued)

ix

FOREWORD

Good practices on strategic planning and management of water resources development in

Asia and the Pacific are included in this publication as a contribution of the Economic and Social

Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to the implementation of the Johannesburg Plan of

Implementation (JPOI) of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in the region. The JPOI

identified the implementation of integrated water resources management plans as a priority, for

which Governments were urged to establish integrated water resources management plans by

2005.

The good practices are selected from the outcomes of the project on “Capacity-building in

Strategic Planning and Management of Natural Resources in Asia and the Pacific” implemented by

ESCAP during the period from 2000 to 2004, with funding from the United Nations Development

Account. The project was designed to address the priority identified at the nineteenth special

session of the General Assembly in the implementation of Agenda 21, when it called for the initiation

of “a strategic approach for the implementation of all aspects of the sustainable use of freshwater

for social and economic purposes, including, inter alia, safe drinking water and sanitation, water for

irrigation, recycling, and wastewater management, and the important role freshwater plays in natural

ecosystems.” The project was thus aimed to promote the application of strategic planning and

management approaches to the integrated management of water resources in the region. The

presentation of good practices on strategic planning and management of water resources

development in this publication is intended to illustrate the importance of the application of the

strategic planning and management approach in the development of integrated water resources

management plans. Apart from the good practices, the publication also compiled relevant

experiences on the application of strategic planning and management approaches to the

development of integrated water resources management plans for possible application.

The publication is thus aimed primarily at providing examples of practical application of the

strategic planning and management approaches to the preparation of integrated water resources

management plans at various levels. In that context, it is aimed at assisting decision-makers,

planners and practising water resources experts in their efforts to enhance the effectiveness in the

formulation and implementation of strategic plans for water related organizations for integrated

water resources management. The publication is also intended to serve as a reference for planners

and practising professionals working in other sectors when dealing with water resources development

and should be used together with the Guidelines on Strategic Planning and Management of Water

Resources, published by ESCAP in 2004.

The implementation of the project, including the preparation of strategic plans in the good

practices of this publication, was carried out under the direct supervision of Mr. Ti Le-Huu of the

Water Resources Section, Environment and Sustainable Development Division of ESCAP, who is

also responsible for the preparation of this publication.

Kim Hak-Su

Executive Secretary

ESCAP

1

PART I:INTRODUCTION TO THE APPLICATION OF STRATEGIC

PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT TOWATER RESOURCES

3

A. INTRODUCTION

1. Background

The following brief description of activities undertaken in the three phases of the

implementation of the project on “Capacity-building in Strategic Planning and Management of Natural

Resources in Asia and the Pacific” during the period from 2000 to 2004 illustrates the circumstances

in which the good practices of the application of the strategic planning and management approach

to the development of integrated water resources management (IWRM) plans were developed in

the region.

a. Phase I of the application of strategic planning and management (SPM) into water

resources management

Under phase I of the project, which took place in 2000 and 2001, efforts were made to

review achievements in water resources management in the region, including those of ESCAP to

form the basis for preparing a set of guidelines on strategic planning and management of water

resources development. Important achievements made by the ESCAP secretariat identified in the

review included the results of studies on “Integration of Water Resources Management into Economic

and Social Development Plans in Asia and the Pacific” and “A Synthesis of Experience from the

FAO-ESCAP Pilot Project on the Formulation of National Water Visions to Action”. These results

together with international experiences and inputs from invited water resources experts in the region

were compiled to form the first draft of the Guidelines on Strategic Planning and Management of

Water Resources, which was discussed at the Regional Workshop to Finalize the Guidelines on

Strategic Planning and Management of Natural Resources Development, held in Bangkok in

December 2001.

At this regional workshop, the expert group also identified the overall framework for the

introduction of SPM into the national development process taking into account the application of

SPM at the national/basin, sectoral and organizational levels. In that context, the expert group

identified priority purposes of the application of SPM, key elements or components of SPM, and

initiation and implementation of SPM at these three levels. In order to ensure adequate preparation

for the subsequent phases of the project, the expert group also identified priority follow-up activities

at the subregional level as well as possible coordination of regional efforts on this subject.

b. Phase II of the application of strategic planning and management into water


During phase II, the draft Guidelines was then used for training at five workshops for

South-East Asia (July 2002), Central Asia and the Pacific (August 2002), South Asia (September

2002) and North-East Asia (October 2002). In addition, the draft Guidelines was posted on the

website of ESCAP to encouraged interested water resources management experts to contribute to

improving its applicability. In order to increase the applicability of the Guidelines for the preparation

of integrated water resources management plans, several suggestions were solicited participants of

the five subregional workshops to form the basis for the introduction of a new chapter on “Monitoring

Outcomes of Strategic Planning in Water Management: Using Indicators Effectively” in the draft

Guidelines, which was then posted on the ESCAP website in July 2003.

As part of the process on networking building on application of SPM to water resources

management, the five subregional workshops were organized in cooperation with subregional

counterparts as follows:

4

a. The subregional workshop for South-East Asia in July 2002 in cooperation with the

Mekong River Commission Secretariat (MRCS) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The

number of participants was 40, including 21 officials from eight countries of

South-East Asia, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic,

Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, 19 experts from the Global

Water Partnership (GWP), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the MRCS

and ESCAP.

b. The subregional workshop for the Pacific in August 2002 for both the energy and

water sectors in cooperation with the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission

(SOPAC) in Sigatoka, Fiji. 22 participants, including 18 officials from 12 countries of

the Pacific, namely Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau,

Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu, three experts from

SOPAC and an ESCAP Consultant participated in the Workshop on water resources.

c. The subregional workshop for Central Asia was held in cooperation with the

Inter-State Commission on Water Management Coordination (ICWC) in Cholpan Ata,

Kyrgyzstan, and was attended by totally 49 participants, including 25 officials of ICWC

from the five countries of Central Asia, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,

Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; 13 officials representing the local organizers and the

Scientific Information Centre of ICWC; and 12 international experts representing six

international organizations working in the subregion, namely Canada International

Development Agency, Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), United States Agency

for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank

(ADB) and IWMI.

d. The Subregional Workshop for South Asia on Application of Guidelines on Strategic

Planning and Management of Water Resources in cooperation with IWMI and the

Interim National Water Resources Authority (INWRA) of Sri Lanka in Colombo from

10 to 13 September 2002. The subregional workshop was attended by totally

25 participants, including 20 officials from the eight countries of South Asia, namely

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and

Sri Lanka; two participants representing the local NGOs, one international expert

provided by the Department of Foreign International Development of the United

Kingdom and two officials of IWMI.

e. The subregional workshop for North-East Asia was organized in cooperation with the

Ministry of Water Resources of China in Beijing from 22 to 25 October 2002, which

consisted of two parts: the International Forum and Subregional Workshop for

North-East Asia on Application of Guidelines on Strategic Planning and Management

of Water Resources. The Symposium was attended by totally 55 participants, including

11 foreign participants and 44 senior Chinese officials representing various

Departments of the Ministry of Water Resources and the four major river basin

commissions. The international participants included senior officials from Mongolia,

Russian Federation and invited experts from UNESCO, World Bank, IWMI, Stanford

University, Australia and the United Kingdom. The workshop was attended by

14 officials, including the international participants.

In all the subregional workshops, the participants discussed details of the Guidelines for

water resources and various aspects of the application to the Guidelines to water resources

management, including practicability of such application to the formulation of policies and strategies

of water resources management as case studies at the country level.

5

c. Phase III of the application of strategic planning and management into water


Based on the interest generated at the subregional workshops, subsequent consultations

were made with the focal points of interested countries. Case studies were then arranged for

seventeen countries during the period from 2003 to 2004 for the development of strategic plans as

follows:

a. Central Asia: Case studies were made for the five countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,

Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, within the framework of the Inter-State

Commission on Water Management Coordination (ICWC) and in cooperation with

ICWC Scientific Information Centre (SIC) for downstream areas of Syrdarya and

Amudarya including whole Ferghana Valley. In addition, the Guidelines were also

adapted using the experiences of these case studies for subsequent training of water

resources engineers in the subregion. In this connection, one seminar was held in

November 2003 in Tashkent in cooperation with SIC, IWMI, SDC and the United

States Department of State to map out detailed application, a workshop to discuss the

draft strategic plans in April 2004 in Tashkent and the training seminar was organized

by SIC in November 2004.

b. North-East Asia: Case studies were conducted for two river basins in China (Haihe

and Huaihe) in cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources of China and for

overall water resources management in Mongolia in cooperation with the Ministry of

Environment of Mongolia. The final workshops were held in October for these two

countries.

c. Pacific: Case studies were carried out for the Nadi River basin in cooperation with

the Department of Land and Water Resources Management of Fiji and for the Laloki

River basin in cooperation with the Water Resources Management Branch of

Department of Environment and Conservation of Papua New Guinea. The final

workshops were held in Nadi in September 2004 for Fiji and in Port Moresby in

October 2004 for Papua New Guinea to discuss the draft strategic plans for the

respective river basins.

d. South Asia: Case studies were conducted in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in cooperation

with the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and the Interim

National Water Resources Authority (INWRA) of Sri Lanka, respectively. The final

workshops were held in Islamabad in February 2004 to discuss the draft strategic

plan for PCRWR and in July 2004 to review the draft strategic plan of INWRA.

e. South-East Asia: Case studies were conducted for the following countries: the Lao

People’s Democratic Republic on strategic plan of the Water Resources Coordination

Committee (WRCC) in cooperation with WRCC; Malaysia on strategic plan for the

Selangat River basin in cooperation with the Malaysia Water Partnership and the

Department of Irrigation and Drainage; Myanmar on strategic plan for the coordination

of water resources sector: establishment of the national water resources committee

in cooperation with the Irrigation Department; Philippines on strategic plan for the

National Water Resources Board (NWRB) in cooperation with NWRB; Thailand on

strategic plan for the water sector – Department of Water Resources in cooperation

with the Water Resources Association of Thailand; and Viet Nam on strategic plan for

the Vu Gia-Thu Bon River basin in cooperation with the Institute of Water Resources

Planning of Viet Nam. Six workshops were organized to discuss the respective draft

strategic plan in July 2003 in Putra Jaya, Malaysia; September 2003 in Bangkok,

Thailand; in December 2003 in Vientiane, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic; in

6

July 2004 in Manila, Philippines; in August 2004 in Da Nang, Viet Nam; and in

September 2004 in Yangon, Myanmar. Subsequently, the Ministry of Agriculture

and Rural Development of Viet Nam decided to hold a workshop to establish the

Vu Gia-Thu Bon River Basin Organization on the basis of the strong recommendations

of the case study and the related provincial authorities.

2. Lessons from the application of SPM to water resources

The key results and outcomes of the project “Capacity-building in Strategic Planning and

Management of Natural Resources in Asia and the Pacific” in the water sector can be summarized

in the following three aspects: important achievements of the project, key obstacles in application

of SPM, and important lessons learned and best practices.

The important achievements of the project can be described in three main aspects: tool

development, interest generation, and practical application of the methodology.

a. Tool development

The development of the Guidelines marked an important step in the application of strategic

planning and management approach to water resource, since it was the first time that a specific set

of guidelines were specifically developed for the water sector and derived mainly from the practical

experiences of the region. This fact can be illustrated by the translation of the Guidelines into

Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese by the respective technical agencies. In addition, several

enquiries were addressed on the guidelines on application to water resources management in the

forestry sector in Malaysia and to the development of integrated river basin management modules

for the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education.

b. Generated interest in SPM

The interest generated by the project on SPM of water resources was higher than expected

in terms of the number of requests for case studies, which was higher than the project could deliver,

although the actual number of case studies was much higher than the original number of case

studies planned for the project, 17 in comparison with 10. Of particular interest was the decision of

the Vice Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan to immediately apply the concept at the

subregional workshop.

c. Best practices of SPM

The seventeen case studies on the application of SPM to the water resources sector were

conducted for the practical purpose of formulation of related policies and strategies at all the levels

as recommended at the regional and subregional workshops: national (Myanmar, Thailand,

Sri Lanka, Mongolia), basin (China, Fiji, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Viet Nam and five countries

in Central Asia), sectoral level (Pakistan) and organizational (the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

and Philippines). Out of these case studies, the momentum generated by the application for the

case studies in Fiji, Myanmar and Viet Nam proved the immediate impacts of the project, in terms

of immediate actions taken by the agencies concerned.

7

B. PRINCIPLES ADOPTED FOR APPLICATION OFSPM TO WATER RESOURCES

Throughout the implementation of the project on “Capacity-building in Strategic Planning

and Management of Natural Resources in Asia and the Pacific”, it was recognized that water

resources development planning is a continuing process and the introduction of SPM into the

national development process would thus need to be integrated into the ongoing efforts to improve

water resources development planning. In that context, the principles for application of SPM to

water resources were drawn up on the basis of the importance or necessity of SPM, key elements

or components of SPM, and initiation and implementation of SPM.

1. Necessity of SPM for water resources development

Throughout the implementation of the project on “Capacity-building in Strategic Planning

and Management of Natural Resources in Asia and the Pacific”, all participating experts and

institutions recognized the importance and necessity of the adoption of SPM approaches in water

resources management to ensure effective integration of water resources management into the

national development process, to achieve efficient allocation of water resources against competing

uses and to achieve consensus building and sustainable results of development. It was further

recognized the importance of SPM in promoting good governance in water resources management

and in capacity-building and improvement of management to cope with the increasing scarcity of

water resources in the subregion. The participating experts also identified different priorities for the

application of SPM to water resources at the national, sectoral and organizational levels.

a. At the national level

Priority 1: (1) to provide frameworks and directions for: overall development, water

sector and organizations, (2) to facilitate coordination among: agencies,

sectors and stakeholders, (3) to improve implementation: funding,

accountability monitoring, resources mobilization and HRD.

Priority 2: to bridge the present and future: to identify problems, to overcome present

weakness, to respond to uncertainties and to enhance flexibility.

Other: to share water among sectors and regions, and to achieve the targets within

timeframe.

b. At the sectoral level

Priority 1: (1) to take into consideration different institutions, stakeholders, agendas of

the different sectors (e.g. forestry, environment, lands, mines, protected areas)

and encourage their participation, (2) to achieve expected outcomes within

anticipated timeframe, (3) to identify common objectives and shared vision.

Priority 2: (1) to enable rapid development competing from limited resources, (2) to

provide criteria for allocation of limited budget, (3) to provide guidance to

tangible expected outcomes, (4) to coordinate long-term/short-term activities.

Other: (1) to improve legal framework from the many laws, (2) to re-audit

performance, (3) to conserve water resources for sustainable use, (4) to

address different target groups with different ability to pay.

8

c. At the organizational level

Priority 1: (1) to establish effective action plan, (2) to identify clear goal, (3) to create

partnership to achieve mission.

Priority 2: (1) to establish success indicators, (2) to strengthen internal environment.

2. Key elements/components and issues of SPM

Through the process of application of SPM approaches to water resources management,

the participating experts identified the following elements/components and issues as priority at the

national, sectoral and organizational levels of water resources management:


Priority 1: (1) Element: clear vision based on shared concerns, (2) Driving forces:

additional food requirements, additional area for irrigation, flood protection,

and water needs for agriculture and domestic and industrial, (3) Issues: policy

reforms, (4) Elements of SPM should cover technical, social, financial and

environmental aspects.

Priority 2: (1) Issues: institutional reforms and mechanisms, public participation and

resolution/prevention of conflicts/differences.


Priority 1: (1) cross-sectoral approach, (2) relations between subregional and national

priorities: transboundary water resources.

Other: (1) issues/problems, (2) fair allocation – explicit water rights, (3) restoration of

water quality, (4) rational satisfaction of users, (5) environmental action and

maintain natural equilibrium, e.g. watershed management, (6) decision-makers:

to involve political masters and non-technical decision-makers, (7) participation

of civil society.


Priority 1: (1) Options of SPM: key steps and its example (country case), (2) Various

approaches on SPM (collaborative, accountability), (3) Shared vision.

Priority 2: (1) SPM compare “conventional”, (2) Glossary of key terms (vision, goal,

objective, target).

Other: (1) Related government structures (level of administration, sectors, nature of

water, etc.), (2) SWOT, (3) Environment, sanitary, land issues.

In addition, the participating experts also recommended to address the following key issues

in the process of application of SPM: politics, commitment, consensus building, and cultural diversity.

3. Initiation and implementation of SPM

The experiences of the application of SPM approaches to water resources management of

the project on “Capacity-building in Strategic Planning and Management of Natural Resources in

Asia and the Pacific” pointed out the importance of initiation of SPM processes at the national,

sectoral and organizational levels as well as the need to maintain the momentum generated by the

9

initiation. The participating experts of the project recommended the following key elements to be

carefully examined as part of the principles to be adopted for the application of SPM to water

resources.


Priority 1: (1) Political and decision-makers: willingness, commitment and concerns,

(2) Implementation mechanisms: coordination, integrated into budgeting plans,

strong auditing, monitoring and evaluation and team assignment, (3) Capacity

building: training, HRD and experiences build up.

Priority 2: Legal basis for SPM: set up, enforcement and consultations.


(i) Triggering of SPM

Priority 1: (1) to base on initiatives of political and other groups at important benchmark

events such as the World Water Forum, Agenda 21, etc. (2) to provide training

and awareness programmes.

Priority 2: to promote political will.

Other: (1) to identify and give authority to a central coordinating body, (2) to identify

champions, (3) to integrate SPM into policy directives.

(ii) Maintaining momentum of SPM

Priority 1: (1) to provide accountability and incentives, (2) to ensure cyclical/periodic

review/reporting.

Priority 2: (1) to carry out the SPM process at national level, (2) to build consensus

among knowledge base, (3) to implement identified tasks, (4) to include local

perception.

(iii) Supporting measures

Priority 1: (1) to publicize successful case studies, (2) to be sufficiently flexible to

incorporate necessary changes.

Priority 2: (1) to include financial auditing, (2) to provide legal support.


Priority 1: (1) to provide “incentives” for the decision-maker of key actors of water

stakeholders (such as political promotion, fund/budget), (2) to monitor

performance indicators and accessible information, (3) to enhance public

demand and appreciation.

Priority 2: (1) to promote educational awareness, (2) to provide incentive/promotion.

Other: (1) to identify champions, (2) to initiate at political platform, (3) to discipline

offending, (4) to narrow the knowledge gap and enhance understanding of the

future vision of the SPM process, (5) to pay special attention to great difficulties

affecting a paradigm shift from traditional approach, (6) to persuade by using

a clear vision and goals.

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C. CONCLUDING REMARKS ON APPLICATION OFSPM TO WATER RESOURCES

At the Concluding Workshop of the project on “Capacity-building in Strategic Planning and

Management of Natural Resources in Asia and the Pacific”, held in Bangkok in November 2004, the

participating experts recommended the following points to be considered in the application of SPM

approaches to water resources management.

1. Contribution of SPM approaches to the development of IWRM plans

SPM approaches were recognized as instrumental to the application of the concept of

IWRM to support the socio-economic development process. While IWRM is acknowledged as

a process, SPM was recognized as a powerful tool to enable priority activities of water resources

management to be effectively integrated into the socio-economic development process through the

following aspects:

● SPM enable priority actions to be strategically implemented.

● SPM is a process based on the scenarios analyses for the future, allowing uncertainties

of the future to be incorporated into the planning process.

● SPM helps to regularly assess persisting issues.

● SPM promotes accountability, especially the core groups mainly responsible for the

implementation of SPM.

It was considered that application of SPM to IWRM is the only choice to meet the urgent

needs of socio-economic development when countries face serious water issues. It was also

recognized that the application of SPM to development of IWRM plans would facilitate the

mobilization of political will and commitment of key stakeholders, promote resolution of conflicts and

ownership, and enable development of practicable plans of action. The participating experts also

drew up the following experiences of their application:

● SPM can help train new generations of water professional who would understand the

challenges multidisciplinary approach needed for IWRM.

● SPM helps dissect major issues into manageable issues/matters.

● SPM develops capacity to understand the pressing issues in terms of socio-economic

aspects and other frameworks.

● SPM helps establish a core group comprising members from different agencies.

● SPM promotes pilot river basins.

● SPM is the effective tools to attract the assistance from donors and shows clear areas

of responsibility, where stakeholders are participating.

● SPM can provide catalytic elements for change management and transform transitional

institutions to think in terms of real time situation.

● Political will/government support and financial resources are needed for a successful

SPM.

● SPM helps in raising awareness among various stakeholders.

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2. Expectations from SPM

The participating experts in the Concluding Workshop mentioned above also identified the

following expectations from the application of SPM approaches to water resources management as

a possible checklist:

a. Change in mindsets

Successful application of SPM approaches to water resources management is expected to

result in the change of mindsets in the following areas:

● Development concept: socio-economic

● Water concept: IWRM, water utilization, ecological rehabilitation, flood mitigation

● Implementation: mobilization of support and commitment of policy decision-makers

● Foundation of water management: improvement in the understanding of the “reality”

of water management systems as the basis for integration to form the basis to see

how things actually work, i.e. going beyond institutional and other frameworks

● Efficiency of water resources management: change in mindsets to conserve water

resources

b. Mechanism of work

● Use SPM to develop network: SPM can be used as a tool generate consensus

building, such as possible guidelines to develop action plans for food security and

poverty alleviation

● Strategic Plan of Management of Water Resources: must take into cognizance Water

Resources assessment within a river basin. In many countries, economic development

is based on administrative land. What are areas of collaborative planning that can be

developed, particularly economic, among stakeholders

● Increase networking through partners and among stakeholders

● Better decision-making in the process of water resources management

● Task force for collaboration is also essential

● Integration of IWRM to national social and economic development strategy and action

plan

● To set up new legal institutions, needed for better management

● Building up of an effective coordinated block of all water related organization

● Improved water resources management structure of the Government

c. Implementable programme of action

● Ownership and sense of belongings of plan of actions developed by each basin

● Coordinated manner between social, economic and environmental aspects

● SPM should help us in identifying priority actions also at sectoral level

● The devil is in the details; having good SPM should help us go into the details of what

to do

● Collaborative planning to achieve IQRM focusing on elemination of side effects due to

sectoral focus

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● To use the limited resources (water, human, money, etc.) in the best way

● Identification of areas need to be developed/improved

d. Mobilization of commitment for support and participation

● Instill in every stakeholder’s mind/citizen on future scenario based on vision developed

by them

● Enhance organizational effectiveness of the water resources coordination system and

promote capacity-building

● Set up and develop the water market

● Civil society involvement in water resources management

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