Our Involvement in NARBO Training

One of our partners, The Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO), held its 8th IWRM Training in Thulhiriya, SriLanka from 27 November-4 December 2013 to be hosted by Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL).  The Training theme is "Enhanced Water Security through IWRM - Mahaweli Experience".

The eight days training program used a mix of participatory and trans-disciplinary case studies which aims to develop the capacity of participants in IWRM Implementation by using the "IWRM Spiral Model" which was introduced as part of the "IWRM Guidelines at River Basin Level" and issued by UNESCO in 2009. 27 Participants from 11 countries includes: Lao PDR, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

Lao Water Partnership with support from GWP Southeast Asia has send Ms. Daophaphone Bounphakhom (Planning and Cooperation Officer, Division of Administration - Planning) and Mr. Tha Khonmixay (Technical Officer,  Division of River Basin Developmentand Management. Department of Water Resources (DWR). Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) to be part of this valuable training.

The training program has 2 parts: lectures and case studies from International IWRM Specialists and staff from Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, the host organization. Participants have undertaken two full day field studies in the Mahaweli river basin included dialogue with a cross-section of basin stakeholders. Through the training program, the various sources of information, knowledge and valuable lessons on water resources management in particular have been delivered to the participants, they had:

- A lot of experience base on case studies of the Mahaweli river basin which emobidies many water resources and water services issues common to river basin management throughout Asia.

- Developed their capacity to understand, introduce, implement and improve IWRM in our respective based on the IWRM Spiral Model

- Expended their professional network, becoming part a growing network of IWRM practitioners focused on improving IWRM in our river basin and sub-river basins

- Gained knowledge on IIWRM, its effective implementation at the basin level.

For Lao PDR the sharing experience has been a step forward to apply the IWRM process in the management, they will share and commit to use sustainable water resources and their water / basin management perspective.