ABSTRACT
In the global context of putting in place an IWRM approach to face the current and future challenges in water resources, river basin management can be seen as a way to concretize IWRM principles, with basin organisations at the core of the institutional arrangement.
To be successful with river basin management, the river basin organisation has to have the necessary knowledge, data and information about water and water-related issues. This issue has to be addressed with the vision of developing an integrated information system. Based on an identification of capacity development needs, the basin organisation also has to put in place a capacity development plan, in line with the situation of the basin and the strategy adopted by the basin organisation. This plan should cover technical and non-technical needs, and include individual and institutional capacity building.
This paper analyses the kind of knowledge that is needed to ensure the basics of river basin management and how it has to be organised and managed in the basin context. Also, an analysis of the capacity-building approach is presented, showing the wide range of needs for managing the water resource and the basin organisation in an integrated way. The case studies of the Mekong River Commission and Niger Basin Authority illustrate the process for developing capacities in the complex transboundary context. Finally, key recommendations are delivered about knowledge management and capacity development at the basin level.
