Information sharing is a key element of capacity development, as it:
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Facilitates rapid building of a broad knowledge base about river basin topics (through sharing of survey data and models);
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Allows good practice management approaches to be replicated and embedded in sister institutions;
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Allows mistakes to be used for learning (if institutions are brave enough to publicise them); and
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Helps to identify useful training and capacity development suppliers.
Information sharing may also save resources by reducing duplication of effort.
Women from various villages exchange experiences with rural water projects.
Source: Tump 2007
( click to enlarge )
The River Awareness Kit Approach
The River Awareness Kit (RAK) is an approach to information sharing pioneered in the Mekong River Basin by Hatfield Consultants. RAKs are interactive web-based tools aimed at local river basin institutions and stakeholders. Their purpose is to facilitate an inclusive and transparent approach to IWRM at a river basin level.
In many transboundary river basins, information and data specific to the river system and its people are disparate and inaccessible. A River Awareness Kit (RAK) present a unique approach to develop a range of interactive tools, capacity-development programs, environmental information services, and remote sensing and GIS services. River Awareness Kits (RAKs) present relevant information, graphics and maps about the river basin in an interactive and user-friendly fashion. The user-driven approach employed in developing a River Awareness Kit (RAK) helps to facilitate stakeholder involvement and ownership in the process.
RAKs have been developed for the following transboundary river basins:
Regional Networking
A number of regional institutions organise networking and information sharing events, or develop tools to encourage and facilitate information sharing. Two of these are:
WaterNet
WaterNet organises annual symposia aimed at sharing skills and knowledge in water resources management.
The 2009 symposium, organised together with WARFSA and GWP-SA, and held in association with the International Commission on Water Resources Systems, included amongst its focus themes:
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Impacts of climate change on water resources and adaptation;
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Innovative water treatment and sustainable sanitation;
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Water and livelihoods;
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Hydrological modelling and hydrological predictions for both ungauged and gauged basins; and
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Integrated water resources management as a panacea for economic and social development in Africa.
Details of forthcoming symposia and events are provided here.
GWP-SA and PAWD
The Global Water Partnership – Southern Africa plays a major role in information sharing about IWRM in the region. GWP-SA facilitates the Partnership for Africa’s Water Development (PAWD) project, with funding from The Netherlands and Canada. Information sharing and networking are amongst a series of capacity building initiatives under the PAWD, which emphasise the need to build partnerships to address regional water resources challenges. More information is provided here.
SADC Water Sector ICP Collaboration Portal
The SADC Water Sector ICP Collaboration Portal is a helpful online tool that enables the exchange of information among River Basin Organisations (RBOs) and donor agencies for effective collaboration on development strategies in the SADC water sector. The portal also encourages knowledge-sharing and networking amongst the international cooperation partners (ICPs). Reports, project information, contacts and events for all ICP-supported programmes are stored online in the portal.
