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Activities - Core Projects - P0006 Integreated River Basin Management: Managing the Threats to Sustainable Water Resources Development

Shiyang - Shule workshop

Panel&Group Discussion

P0006 Integrated River Basin Management: Managing the Threats to Sustainable Water Resources Development

December 2011

Title	P0006 Integrated River Basin Management: Managing the Threats to Sustainable Water Resources Development
Australian $	$500,000
Chinese $	In-kind
Duration	12 months
Key Chinese Agencies	Gansu Water Resources Department, Tsinghua University, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences - Cold and Arid Regions Environment and Engineering Research Institute
Australian Agencies	University of Melbourne – Australia China Centre for Water Resources Research
Status	Running

Objectives

The activity is envisaged to aim at strengthening local capacities for managing water scarcity threats in Chinese inland river basins, using the example of Shule and Shiyang River Basins in Gansu Province. It will build on previous interventions by the World Bank and the UK Department for International development DFID. It has the potential to assist in local water resources master planning, replication of successful pilot experiences and contribution to the national policy formulation related to inland basin management.

Key Activities / Components

• Inception workshop: illustrated to 8 stakeholders the activities designed for this project, then clarified which agency had main carriage for each component and work out a time frame for whole project activities.

• Science and policy support for IRBM: supported by THU and IWHR to have comparative analysis of river basin conditions and governance in Australian and China’s arid river basins, review the application of water permitting and markets for China, study modelling approaches including Australian CRC e-Water hydrological models and assess and advise the pilot sites for modelling approaches.

• Study tour to Australia: focus on the Victorian water management framework and the integrated Northen Victorian Irrigation Strategy. Other topics such as water law and regulations, water resources modelling to support water allocation and river basin planning, water policy will also be included.

• Two river basin management: technical inputs by Australian specialists assist two river basins with water law and regulations, water policy and permitting etc application. CAS CAREERI will review and comment on Shiyang RB Masterplan.

• Experience-exchange workshop: representatives from other inland river basins in Gansu province and elsewhere to exchange the experiences. Gansu government will present the lessons learned, relevance to their water resource policy directions, forward plan of actions of the two river basins and future partnership priorities and needs.

Contribution to ACEDP Program Outcomes

It is envisaged to contribute to influencing policies at provincial and national levels and fostering partnerships with Australian government and research institutions.

Highlights

14 participants from 8 stakeholder agencies took part in a successful Australian study tour during 28 Aug-8 Sep 2011. Joint field visits to the two pilot sites in the Shiyang and Shule river basins were organized from 7^th to 11^th Nov and a progress report submitted to PCO in early December.

The final project completion workshop is scheduled for March 2012.