The new generation of watershed management

Watershed management institutions

Permanent watershed institutions have been created in some countries. The mandates and efforts of these institutions have traditionally focused on hydraulic works and plantations. Linkages among these autonomous bodies and local government and civil society were not systematically cultivated. Many watershed authorities have launched projects or works with insufficient consultation with stakeholders.

Collaborative watershed management should be the responsibility of “light” institutions, such as watershed fora, observatories, municipal consortia, negotiation tables, water boards and land management committees. When appropriate, the role of informal indigenous institutions should also be recognized and supported.

The relationships among watershed management institutions and local institutions and civil society should be ones of subsidiarity, i.e., watershed institutions should act only on those issues that local government, civil society or private actors cannot deal with themselves. The ideal watershed management institutions should therefore be, at the same time:

• a forum for pluralist consultation and negotiation;
• a technical body able to provide tangible solutions to practical problems; and
• a fundraising board, capable of interfacing with national and local governments and international donors.

To meet this profile, a profound reform of existing watershed management institutions is needed. This should be guided by national watershed management policies, which should include criteria for funding local initiatives and clear procedures for prioritizing critical watersheds.