Presented by Trang (Thu) Nguyen (Vietnam) and Shaun Horne (United States) during the YSEALI Generation Earth Workshop in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

1. Integrated Water
Resource Management
An Exercise in Back Casting
for the Mekong River Basin
Presenters
Trang (Thu) Nguyen
Shaun Horne

2. Agenda
Introduction to Concepts
• Transboundary Water Resources
• Integrated Water Resource Management
– Case Study California
• Back Casting
– Systems Thinking
• Workshop Overview
– Integrated Water Resource Management Planning
Exercise
– Group Presentations and Discussion

3.  263 transboundary lakes and rivers globally
 145 nations have transboundary watersheds
 13 basins worldwide that are by over 5 riparian nations

4. Transboundary Resources:
A transboundary (shared) resource is one where two or
more countries actually share ownership, stewardship or
exploitation of a natural resource ('asset’).
A shared resource is one in which the activities of one
country upon the resource can directly increase or
decrease the quantity, quality or availability of the same
resource in another country.
http://www.mrcmekong.org/RAK/html/1.11.2_description_transboundary.html

5. Transboundary Impacts:
There are many cases of environmental impacts which originate
in one country, but which are also felt in another country.
For example, water extraction upstream has an impact on water
availability downstream.
http://www.mrcmekong.org/RAK/html/1.11.2_description_transboundary.html

6. Integrated Water Resource Management “promotes
the co-ordinated development and management of
water, land and related resources, in order to maximize
the resultant economic and social welfare in an
equitable manner without compromising the
sustainability of vital ecosystems”. (The Global Water Partnership)

7. Integrated Water Resource
Management (IWRM) On A Basin Level
Sustainable management of water resource requires systemic,
integrated decision making that recognizes several
interdependences:
1. Decisions on land use affect water and decisions on water
use affect the environment and land.
2. Decisions on our economic and social future affect hydrology
and ecosystems in which humans live.
3. Decisions at the international, national, and local levels are
interrelated.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001319/131933e.pdf

8. California’s Integrated Regional Water
Management Plan (IRWMP)
State of California policy (SB1672)
• encourages local land- and water-use planning entities to work collaboratively
within a region
• establish common water resource management goals and objectives
• develop a regional planning framework that integrates land, water, and habitat
projects 8

9. 9
Case Study: Mokelumne River Project

10. Back Casting Approach
• Let’s have some fun: Watch this video (0:24-2:44)

11. Back Casting Approach as a Tool for
Sustainable Management
Example:Back Casting vs Fore Casting

12. 12
• Systems Thinking-
Different Scales
– California-State/County
– Mekong Basin-Countries
Define System

13. Back Casting as a Tool
1. Define criteria for IWRM
2. Describe present situation in
relation to the desired IWRM
3. Envision and assess
potential vision
4. Construct a development
path
Oskar Englund, Chalmers University of Technology

14. Workshop Overview
Goals
• Learn basic principles of IWRM and stakeholder
negotiations
• Learn to use back casting as an approach to
sustainable planning
Objectives
Using a back casting approach:
• Develop IWRM for the Mekong Basin
• Define necessary steps to achieve IWRM

15. Workshop Format
• Divide into groups
• 12 members/group
• Decide on stakeholder roles
• Give your group a cool name!
• Groups present their solutions
15

16. Scenario
• Boundaries: Mekong Basin
• Background Info Provided on Map and Template
• Develop a vision for 2025
• Stakeholder Roles and their Main Concerns
– 2 People: Agricultural Community: water supply for their activities, especially
rice production
– 2 People: Fishing Community: aquatic biodiversity and quantity of fish
– 2 People: Environmental Activist: ecosystem conservation
– 2 People: Development Commission: socioeconomic issues
– 2 People: Industry Representatives: water supply
– 2 People: Hydropower Development Firm: power production, demand, and
16

17. Step 1: Define Criteria for Integrated and
Sustainable Water Resource Management
– Consider
• sustainability principles
• Stakeholder issues
– Outline 4 criteria for IWRM
– Example: Criteria for a sustainable management of
marine resources for Öckerö municipality in Sweden
 Fish stocks are not overfished
 Marine biodiversity is conserved
 Ecosystem services are
maintained
 The people of Öckerö have a
good quality of life
 A living maritime culture exists
 There are enough work opportunities
in the municipality
 Marine resources are managed
effectively
 The economy is resilient

18. Step 2: Present State Analysis
Compare the present state of the Mekong Basin
with the criteria for IWRM defined in Step 1
Goals:
• Understand why the present state is
unsustainable/undesirable
• What the biggest challenges to reaching our
IWRM goals

19. Step 3: Sustainable/Desirable
Future Solution
What does IWRM look like in the Mekong Basin?
• What do you, as a specific stakeholder, envision IWRM to
be?
• Compare your ideas with criteria from step 1 to develop a
vision
• Does each idea meet all criteria?
• Note ideas not consistent with criteria
– Who has them
– What do these stakeholders represent
• Craft a mission statement for your IWRM

20. Step 4: Development Path
Your strategic planning timeline :

21. Workshop Synthesis
1. Mission Statement of IWRM
2. Implementation Path
Strategic Implementation Plan of an IWRM
for the Mekong Basin

22. Summary – What to bring home?
Transboundary Water Resources
Integrated Water Resource
Management (IWRM) On A Basin
Level
Back Casting Approach as a Tool
for Sustainable Management
Back Casting Approach for your
project development?

23. 23
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
Mekong River Dolphins
Source: http://imgkid.com/mekong-river-dolphin.shtml