Water Governance in the Orange-Senqu River Basin

A River Basin Organisation is at the core of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), with the mandate of building consensus and harmonising local, regional and national water policies. Effective water governance relies on national laws and institutions at the national, provincial and local levels that require water to be managed in accordance with the principles of IWRM.

The Water Governance in the Orange-Senqu River Basin section presents the Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM) Agreement, as well as it's Mandate, Organizational Structure and Functions, Programmes, stakeholder involvement and recommendations for strengthening ORASECOM. The section on National Water Laws reviews the status of the policy and legislative environment, and the organisations responsible for water management in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.

Chapter Summary

This chapter covers the following concepts and material:

• The Agreement, Mandate, Organisational Structure, Functions and Programmes of the Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM)
• Key organisations responsible for managing water resources within each of the Orange-Senqu River basin states
• The status of the legislative and policy environment within each of the Orange-Senqu River basin states