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Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) -Towards 5th World Water Forum
Thursday 21 August
Afternoon Seminar
Convenors: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan (MLIT)
IWRM should not just be a slogan. The international community needs tools to translate IWRM concepts into sustainable stakeholder driven actions. The Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) approach not only addresses surface and groundwater resource issues, but it also brings together a holistic approach by integrating land use, water-related disaster management, environmental conservation, socio-economics, culture, institutions and livelihood aspirations of basin communities at the river basin – the basic hydrologic unit combines all these aspects.
Based on the implementation needs, UNESCO intends to produce “IRBM Guidelines,” with a view to make them available as important relevant publications of the World Water Development Report, a flagship project of UN-Water to be launched at the 5th World Water Forum. This effort is supported by MLIT, Japan, host country of the 3rd World Water Forum and G8 summit 2008.
The key objectives of IRBM Guidelines are to provide clear definitions of advantages and principles for managing river basins to enable multilevel capacity building of decision-makers, policy-planners, practitioners, River Basin Organisations and NGOs.
This seminar aims to clarify key concepts of IRBM and focuses on aspects such as “regional diversity” and “stakeholder participation with responsibility” and a “message to the 5th World Water Forum.”
Seminar Programme 13:30-17:00, Room K11
Chair: Mr. Shahbaz Khan, Chief of Sustainable Water Resources Development and Management Section, UNESCO, Division of Water Sciences
13:30 |
Opening Remark
Mr. Andras Szöllösi-Nagy, Director, Division of Water Sciences, UNESCO and Co-chair, Political Process Committee of the 5th World Water Forum |
13:40 |
G8 TOYAKO Summit and an Innovative Approach to Water Resources Management
Mr. Shuhei Kazusa, Director-General, Water Resources Department, MLIT, Japan |
13:50 |
Theme 1 – Why IRBM for Regional Diversity |
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• Water Environment and River Basin Management: A Good Example from Latin America |
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• Water Hazards and River Basin Management
Representative of International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) |
14:25 |
Theme 2 – How to Realise IRBM (Stakeholder Participation with Responsibility) |
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• Regional Community Activities for IRBM: A Good Example from the African Region |
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• Political Will and Institution for River Basin Management
Representative of Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO) |
14:55 |
Introduction of the Process for the Development of IRBM Guidelines
Mr. Toshihiro SONODA, Division of Water Sciences, UNESCO |
15:15 |
Coffee Break |
15:45 |
Panel Discussion: Message to the 5th World Water Forum - Adaptation to Global Change through River Basin Approach |
16:45 |
Conclusion |
17:00 |
Close of Seminar |
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