Report of the e-Conference on Integrated Land and Water Resources Management in Rural Watersheds


RAP PUBLICATION 2011/08

Report of the e-Conference on Integrated Land and Water Resources Management in Rural Watersheds

Download Full Report 1.7Mb


Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Bangkok 2011


ABSTRACT

The continuing and rapid degradation of rural watersheds has been a major concern for governments and civil society in Asia and the Pacific region. A root cause is the segmented management of land and water resources. This has been exacerbated by the cumulative and linked effects of an increase in demand for food, fuel and water due to population growth, competition for scarce land resources from biofuel production and a shift in preference for protein-rich diets. The expected adverse impact of climate change in the coming decades will most likely worsen the situation. To promote the uptake of integrated land and water resource management, with focus on rural watersheds, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in partnership with other organizations, set up an e-Conference which ran for five weeks from 2 November to 4 December 2009. It attracted 401 registered delegates and 6 700 visitors to its Web site. The principal aim of the e-Conference was to review recent and current watershed management initiatives in the region and highlight the “best of best” practices. The reports and case studies submitted to the e-Conference are available online at http://faorap-econf.org. This report, instead, focuses on a review of the submitted case studies against an analytical framework comprising 33 critical elements designed to promote improved and robust land and water sustainability.



Table of Contents

Foreword
Abbreviations and acronyms
1. Background and aims
2. Objectives
3. e-Conference structure
4. The structure of this report
5. Critical elements of selected watershed management
    initiatives
6. Analysis of the case studies (reports) submitted during
    the e-Conference
        Week 1 – Strategic planning for integrated land and
            water management (ILWM)
        Week 2 – Legal and policy settings for ILWM
        Week 3 – Institutional arrangements for ILWM
        Week 4 – Technical measure and tools for ILWM
        Week 5 – Enabling environment for ILWM
7. Discussion and conclusions
8. References
Appendix 1 – Synopsis of the three key reports used as
    reference materials during the e-Conference from which
    the 33 critical elements were drawn
        Appendix 1.1 – The New Generation of Watershed
            Management Programmes and Projects
        Appendix 1.2 –The Indonesian Environmental Programme
        Appendix 1.3 –Prosperity through integrated watershed
            management in India




The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.

The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO.

ISBN 978-92-5-106907-3


All rights reserved. FAO encourages reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Non-commercial uses will be authorized free of charge upon request. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes, including educational purposes, may incur fees. Applications for permission to reproduce or disseminate FAO copyright materials, and all other queries concerning rights and licences, should be addressed to:

Chief
Publishing Policy and Support Branch
Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension - FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy
or by e-mail to: [email protected]




For copies write to:Yuji Niino
Land Management Officer
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Atit Road
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: (+66) 2 697 4000
Fax: (+66) 2 697 4445
E-mail: [email protected]

© FAO 2011