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Over the past few years there has been growing interest in the river basin from the perspective of both management and research. The basin provides a natural hydrological focal point for examining, analyzing, and managing multiple and often competing uses for water. Identifying the potential for water savings, increasing the productivity of water, and meeting the various social and environmental water needs is best viewed in the context of basin water resources.
Taking this into account, we at IWMI, in developing our strategic plan over the past several months have begun to ask how we might work together with our partners and stakeholders to begin to understand and solve problems from a basin perspective. The Benchmark Basin initiative was proposed in IWMI's Strategic Plan 2001-2005 as an approach to understand and beneficially influence water resource development in selected basins in a variety of ago-ecological zones. By committing resources to develop and maintain long-term research activities and data sets in these basins, IWMI believes that the impact of research conducted by the staff of the Institute and its partners will be greatly enhanced. Following discussion with key stakeholders, basins in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Africa have been identified.
In making a long-term commitment to benchmark basins, IWMI plans to conduct a significant amount of its own research in these basins. This research will focus on questions such as:
- how to manage basin water resources to increase water productivity;
- how to incorporate human and environmental impacts in the evaluation of water productivity,
- how to manage surface and ground water for conjunctive use
- how to design databases and information systems to permit timely planning and management of basin water resources.
These are questions of generic and long-term interest to those concerned with improving basin and system level planning and management. However, there are a number of related activities which will be of more immediate interest to participating agencies such as: (i) training in water accounting as a tool in water management, (ii) mapping irrigated areas using remote sensing, (iii) conduct of workshops involving different agencies to address problems such as protection of wetlands.
A first priority is to identify and address those issues that they consider to be of highest priority to partners and stakeholders. Thus, the initial task is to conduct a dialogue.
The objectives of this dialogue will be:
- To define the benchmark basin
- To discuss major concerns and problems in the management of water resources in the selected benchmark basin.
- To develop a committee structure through which we can work together and to begin to define committee responsibilities and research priorities.
- To establish a time-table for the committees to agree on data needs, responsibilities for data collection, and for management of the database.
Current Benchmark Basins: