Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM): River Basin Organisations:

Basin Planning

A basin management plan, outlining the long-term vision and strategy for water management in a basin, is a critical component of IWRM; providing the basis for developing detailed shorter-term action plans.

The Global Water Partnership (2009a) have identified five key components for the development of a basin strategy:

  1. Identify the issues
  2. Set priorities
  3. Identify management options
  4. Analyse the cost and benefits
  5. Address risk

Important inputs into a long-term strategy also include the following aspects (GWP 2009a):

  • Water management policies and legislation
  • Type, scale and intensity of water and land resource issues
  • General and water-related development goals
  • Level of economic development
  • Capacity of water managers and institutions
  • Availability of financial resources

Basin management and planning within SADC (including the Orange-Senqu River basin) is guided by the Regional Water Policy, the Regional Water Strategy, and the Regional Strategic Action Plan.

In 2008, the Orange-Senqu River basin plan was initiated. The plan will focus on the following six key areas (Atkins 2009):

  • Water resources management master plan
  • Development and implementation of water conservation and environmental strategies
  • Strengthening of basin management institutions and organisations
  • Enhancing and building of capacity for improved management of shared watercourses in all riparian states
  • Development of a shared information system that promotes a common understanding for decision-making
  • Improvement of the Orange-Senqu River Basin Commission’s (ORASECOM) communication and awareness building processes
Water conservation is especially important in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Orange-Senqu River basin.
Source:©iStockphoto/Richter 2008
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