GWP, GWP China and Yunnan University hosted the capacity building campaign thattargets at facilitating effective water governance, promoting cooperation among actors engaged in transboundary water management in Asia. Kindly supported by the Network of Asia River Basin Organizations (NARBO), the Lancang Mekong Water Cooperation Center (LMWCC), the UN Water Convention Secretariat and the World Bank, the training workshop explores an innovative model that integrates IWRM principles & practices, multiple-stakeholder processes, transboundary river management skills, and teamwork & intimation.
The 3-day knowledge sharing campaign formed of concept introduction, lessons & learned from 13 countries, quiz & test, and group exercises. Participants with diverse backgrounds reflected that such a creative designing of the training enabled them to acquire the concept of institutional cooperation; legal norms/mechanisms for equitable and reasonable utilization of water resources among watercourse states; multiple-stakeholder engagement at the basin level. Discussions and interactions achieved mutual understanding between representatives from watercourse states, tutors and trainees, senior and junior professionals, politic and academic groups.
When Yumiko Yasuda, senior network officer of GWPO and expert in river basin collaboration, explained the motive of the campaign with participants on the first day, she said that countries in Asia share 110 rivers and lakes. Long and stable cooperation at the regional and interregional levels can form a secured shelter to stakeholder states for their economic and social development, and further towards regional political stability and peace. The thematic programme, led by Yumiko, introduces various tools targeting conflicts and competition of water use. It guides trainees to acquire comprehensive abilities of managing competing uses for a win-win to all parties. Being creative and unique, it adopts the south-south learning approach and fosters relationships & networks among practitioners.
The programme enjoys a high reputation upon effective outcomes and positive feedback of the trainees from Latin America and Africa who involved training campaigns in the past two years. Survey results reflect that 92% of the members from Latin America applytheir learnings and resources from GWP’s programme in their work. 