Conferencia internacional sobre GIRH: Lecciones para la implementación en países en desarrollo

Del 10 al 12 de marzo del 2008, en Ciudad del Cabo- Sudáfrica, se llevará a cabo la Conferencia internacional sobre Gestión Integrada de Recursos Hídricos (GIRH): Lecciones para la implementación en países en desarrollo con el propósito de compartir experiencias y lecciones aprendidas sobre la GIRH en los países en vías de desarrollo.

La conferencia no es exclusivamente para los países en vías de desarrollo, sino una oportunidad de diálogo entre estos países con el mundo desarrollado, así como con los donantes a la GIRH, cuya implementación permitirá elaborar nuevos conceptos o adaptar los que ya existen.
Además, durante estos días se realizará también la 2° Reunión Regional de Comités Nacionales de UNESCO PHI de África.

BACKGROUND

The time is suitable now for a reflection on how implementation of Integrated Water
Resources Management (IWRM) is progressing around the world. Do the same Dublin
IWRM founding principles still hold true? Should there be a variant set of principles for
specific situations? The Global Water Partnership (GWP) has invested large resources in
documenting different experiences and in keeping the concept alive.

It is realised that IWRM is a broad and encompassing concept. The conference aims at
targeting a specific angle to IWRM, which are universal and important for developing
countries. These are the impacts on
society, the environment, the economy
and health. The aim will be to compose
assessments of local practices and
experiences based on the founding
principles as formulated in Dublin 1992. The IWRM science has evolved and
numerous local practices have moulded
and adapted these principles to local
conditions and circumstances.

On the occasion of the 10 year
anniversary into the implementation of
the South African Water Law, the Water
Research Commission of South Africa
in partnership with the UNESCO
International Hydrological Programme
(IHP) focal point, the Department of
Water Affairs and Forestry and the
Water Institute of Southern Africa are
organising a three day conference
aimed at sharing experiences and
lessons on IWRM from developing
countries. The intention of the conference is to create a platform for
practitioners and policy makers in the
developing world to share their
experiences in the implementation of
IWRM.

The conference is not exclusive to
developing countries but is an
opportunity for dialogue between
developing countries’ experiences and
the developed world as well as the
donor society on the latest lessons and
implementation experiences that can shape new concepts or adapting existing ones.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONFERENCE

• To canvass the understanding of what IWRM actually means amongst participating countries;


• To collect information on the level of preparedness in developing countries for the
  implementation of IWRM such as a development of formal legal instruments on
  IWRM, financial allocations, training, capacity building and the required infrastructure
  for regional IWRM implementation;


• To establish an understanding of the challenges facing the implementation of IWRM
  in developing countries; and


• To assess progress with the implementation of IWRM, with special focus on
  developing countries and to identify major remaining challenges.