International Watershed Management Conference

Details: Last Updated on Monday, 14 March 2011 08:32; Written by Jorma Koponen

The conference was held on 9-11 March 2011 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Some of the modelling related highlights in the Conference Summary are:

When embedding watershed management in river basin management a key point is understanding the differences in scale and the implications for management. Extrapolation and up-scaling can be dangerous without having a rigorous understanding of the effects of scale.
Sound science -based evidence is required to support and inform the decision making process. Issues such as the dynamics and importance of sediments and the effects of deforestation and reforestation vary across scale and there are myths that need to be dispelled.
Good data is key to evidence-based management, including monitoring and modeling adapted to the specific context.
Economic data and figures can be a powerful way of presenting evidence, and influencing decisions.
Economic valuation is also an important tool for ensuring that the costs, benefits and trade-offs that have traditionally been omitted from decisions are included, and are considered by decision-makers. Equally, it can help to make sure that the economic interests of more vulnerable (and often poorer) stakeholder groups who are negatively impacted by these trade-offs are represented.
However good it may be, economic data will not convince people unless it is generated in a transparent way, and communicated effectively in a way that is meaningful to the decision or decision-maker that it hopes to influence. Stakeholder participation is key to increasing credibility and hence acceptance of economic data.
At the end of the day, sustainable watershed management must translate into real economic gains to actors involved, and in comparison to the returns from unsustainable production, consumption and investment choices.

The Conference has demonstrated the importance of considering the linkages between land and water in managing the natural resources and the importance of integration across sectors, disciplines, institutions and scale.

The Conference Summary is available at http://www.mrcmekong.org/MRC_news/watershed2011/Chiang-Mai-Summary-DRAFT-two.pdf.