Cooperation with NGOs on Knowledge
Management & Transboundary River,
Groundwater & Lake Basin Management
© Michel Roggo / WWF-Canon
7th GEF IWC
31 October 2013
Barbados
Knowledge Management (KM)
• A range of strategies and practices used in an organization to
identify, create, represent, distribute, and enable adoption of
insights and experiences
• Such insights and experiences comprise knowledge, either
embodied in individuals or embedded in organizations as
processes or practices
• Overlaps with organizational learning and distinguishable by a
greater focus on the management of knowledge as a strategic
asset and a focus on encouraging the sharing of knowledge
© Gernant Magnin / WWF-Netherlands
Leveraging Knowledge for Rivers
Globally
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TNC aims to protect and significantly improve the health of globally important natural systems that
enhance peoples’ lives - Freshwater is a priority
Invest on-ground expertise, global reach, and convening power in (1) integrating nature into large-scale
water infrastructure (2) securing water for cities (3) bringing together best partners & science for
shared water solutions
GRP I explored options for sustainable management & development of world’s Great Rivers (2005)
Basin relationships and knowledge sharing e.g. Mississippi and Yangtze managers and scientists (2006)
o USGS Miss. fish monitoring experience shared with Chinese, used to develop new monitoring
protocol for measuring management impacts on Yangtze health and fishery
o Scientists, Gov. agencies & Three Gorges Dam operators implementing fish and eflow releases
Formal between-country models for cooperation & large-scale best practices replication (2012)
o US- China EcoPartnership collaboration agreement, Miss-Yangtze Implementation Plan
o TNC-China Three Gorges Corporation agreement - sustainable hydropower in priority places (2013)
GRP II expanded vision & scope - leveraged funds, engaged 100+ public/private sector partners (2012)
Knowledge mgmt. to solve critical IRBM challenges in 8 basins
Yangtze, Mekong, Ogooué, Niger, Magdalena, Tapajós, Mississippi, Colorado
Exchanges of capacity, methods/tools, and lessons learnt on issues common to multiple basins – use of
problem-solving oriented Practice Areas (hydropower, floodplains/flood risk mgmt., agric., etc.)
Scaling up best practices and policy impact to global level
o Engaging global actors to influence public/private policy and investment decisions e.g. IHA
o Effective use of networks (e.g. Global Network to advance IRBM)
© Michel Gunther / WWF-Canon
Learning by Doing: The Value
Added of Knowledge Management
• Tailored learning and outreach: training and capacity
building for multiple stakeholders, including municipal and civil
society actors, as well as high-level national officials in water
governance, international water law and benefit sharing to enhance
knowledge and understanding
• Network of champions: taking new ideas and approaches forward
to stimulate a change in thinking that can result in policy-level
changes in how the complex water resources are managed in
practice
• As leader of the river basin learning component of IW:LEARN, WANI
and following initiatives have been delivering regional learning
workshops from IUCN’s own members and networks
GWP is a Knowledge-Based Organization
• Conferences/workshops (SWWW, WWF,
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regional/local events)
Organization of seminars/trainings
Participation in Advisory Boards
The Technical Committee (TEC)
Publications (different types)
IWRM Toolbox
Communication (different tools)
http://www.gwp.
org/en/ToolBox/
Riverprize
• Decades worth of best practice
examples globally in integrated
river basin management
(including transboundary issues)
• Forces applicants to review and
collate documents and history of
work into single set of documents
• IRF is central repository of
information relation to integrated
river basin management globally
• Currently looking at how to turn
this information into an
“education or knowledge” tool for
others
• Winners enter into Twinning
partnerships to form reciprocal
knowledge exchange and peer
learning globally
IRF KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS/MANAGEMENT
Twinning programs
• Riverprize alumni develop
programs of knowledge sharing
and peer to peer learning
globally
• IRF shares knowledge via
website, newsletters, resources,
presentations
• Twinning alumni and partners
now have expanded capacity to
work internationally and
awareness of international
programs
2011 Winner – Sunshine Coast, QLD
GEF PROGRAMS
How can these streams of
knowledge feed into other work
www.riverfoundation.org.au
globally?
And vice-versa???
International Commission for the
Protection of the Danube River Basin
• Dissemination of the best practices in RBM
• Legal
• Institutional
• Technical
• Peer-to-peer learning, capacity building
• Twinning with other Commissions
• The 10 FAQs to the ICPDR
• Opportunity for KM partnership globally
www.icpdr.org
© Anton Vorauer / WWF-Canon
The UNECE Water Convention
An institutional platform to share
experiences and knowledge
• Meetings of the official bodies – report
on progress
• Targeted regional capacity building
workshops – capacity building, exchange
of experiences
• National Policy Dialogues – facilitating
knowledge sharing at the national level
• Thematic publications – development
process contribute to knowledge sharing
• Communication - brochures, press
releases…
WWF Freshwater Knowledge
Management
Water Wednesday Webinars:
an example of a global learning
environment
A diverse, widely dispersed network;
How to connect over time zones, geographies and themes?
300
staff in over 50
countries working on
freshwater
conservation
Monthly focus point:
Third Wednesday of the month = water webinar Wednesday
Provide a variety of topics: mix up introductory topics with in depth
technical sessions
Link to topical event relevant to network, i.e. new publications etc.
Cater to different timezones
Participation growing as concept becomes established
On average 30-40 participants – up from 10-20 last year
Key: recognition, continuity & forward planning
Global Network to Advance
Integrated River Basin Management
The core objective of the Network’s collaboration is to
facilitate, in all regions of the world, the emergence of more
effective and efficient governance and sustainable
development of water resources by integrating management
at the basin level.
© Caroline Simmonds/WWF
www.hydrosustainability.org
BREAKOUT DISCUSSION
Taking into account financial and time
constraints, identify:
(1) 3-5 ways in which you could more effectively
access knowledge AND
(2) 3-5 ways in which you could better
use/integrate knowledge in your work?
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