RESEAU INTERNATIONAL DES ORGANISMES DE BASSIN
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF BASIN ORGANIZATIONS
RED INTERNACIONAL DE ORGANISMOS DE CUENCA


GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF BASIN ORGANIZATIONS
INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
ASSOCIATED PROGRAM :
" DEVELOPING AND STRENGTHENING RIVER BASIN ORGANIZATIONS "

 

ANNEX 1

 

DECLARATION OF MEMBERSHIP IN INBO

 

 

 

PREAMBLE

An integrated, sound and balanced management of water resources is a prerequisite to ensure quality of life on our planet and a sustainable socioeconomic development.

The issues thus raised are numerous and complex.

The solutions brought must allow for :

- contending with natural disasters and the risks of erosion, floods or drought, taking into account physical and water management,

- reliably meeting the urban and rural populations requirements in terms of good quality drinking water, in order to improve hygiene and health and to prevent important outbreaks of disease,

- reclaiming farmlands and developing appropriate irrigation systems to produce enough agricultural food,

- harmoniously developing industry, energy production, recreational activities and, in some areas, tourism and waterways navigation,

- preventing and controlling pollution of all kinds and origins, in order to preserve the aquatic ecosystems and more especially, to protect fauna and optimize fish breeding for human consumption, while meeting the requirements of various uses and more generally, preserving the biodiversity of the aquatic environment

All these issues can no longer be approached by sector or localization, nor approached separately. On the contrary, the solutions must associate the national and local authorities with the users, in a comprehensive and integrated approach, respecting the natural environment, organized on the scale of hydrographic units and aiming at the sustainable utilization of water resources.

It is recommended that the agreements and strategies, the programs, financing and monitoring be designed at the river basin level and that cooperation agreements be formalized between riparian countries regarding large shared rivers, lakes and seas.

 

 

DECLARATION OF MEMBERSHIP IN INBO

Referring to the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, June 1992 and the International Conference on Water and Environment, Dublin, January 1992, as well as the Constitutive Meeting in Aix-les-Bains, May 1994 and the General Assembly, held in Mexico, March 1996, the members of the International Network of Basin Organizations declare that they already apply or intend to apply, the following common modalities :

- organization, on the scale of large hydrographic basins, of an integrated water resources management aimed at preventing natural and dangerous hazards, and catastrophes and also at rationally and equitably meeting the various uses, to reach a sustainable economic development and to protect and restore the aquatic environment ;

- implementation of financing systems -based on the " user-polluter-pays " principle and the " solidarity " concept- for multi-year development, equipment and protection programs ;

- setting up partnership means to associate national Authorities and possibly competent international institutions together with local authorities, water users and concerned non-governmental organizations to the planning and management of river basin organizations ; and also developing the information capacities of these partners’ representatives to enable them to fully assume the responsibilities and missions assigned to them within the framework of the basin policy.

 

 

PARTICIPATION IN INBO

The members of the International Network of Basin Organizations declare that they approve the arrangements stated in the " Charter of organization and operation " of the Network in accordance with the terms adopted by the General Assembly of March 1996, in Mexico. They agree -within the limits of their possibilities- to pursue the objectives of the Network and to participate in its joint projects and in addition, to keep the Network regularly informed on their activities in order to develop a wider cooperation between its members.

Furthermore, through this participation, each Network member agrees to promote the advantages of integrated river basin management compared to an individual approach, thus contributing to the development of this system over the World.

 

 

 

* NAME OF THE MEMBER-ORGANIZATION____________________________

* NAME AND POSITION OF THE ENTITLED SIGNATORY _______________

 

 

 

Made at .....................................on ..........................

 

 

CONTENTS