The international Conferences of Dublin and Rio in 1992, Paris, in 1998 and The Hague in 2000 have brought to light that sound and balanced management of water resources is a prerequisite to ensure quality of life on our planet and the sustainable socioeconomic development of our societies.

The issues raised are complex.

The solutions must, at the same time, allow .

• the contending with natural catastrophes and risks of erosion, floods or drought, taking into account land and water management,
• the reliable meeting of 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,
• the reclamation of farm-lands and the development of appropriate irrigation systems to reach food self-sufficiency,,
• the harmonious development of industry, energy production, recreational activities and, in some areas, tourism and waterways navigation,
• the prevention and control of pollution of all kinds and origins; in order to preserve aquatic ecosystems and, more especially, to protect fauna and optimize fish farming for human consumption, while meeting the requirements of various uses and more generally, preserving the biodiversity of the aquatic environment.

Looking for solutions, whose objective is sustainable water use, must associate the national and local authorities together with the users in integrated water resource management which respects the natural environment, and is organized on the scale of river basins.

The International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) was created on the occasion of a Constituent Assembly held in Aix-les-Bains (France) in May 1994. It was the fulfilment of an idea that had been brought forward during the United Nations Conference for Environment and Development, held in Rio, June 1992.

The Network relies on its members' willingness to work together.

In the beginning, INBO was founded on the informal acceptance of its Constituent Charter (Morelia-Mexico, 1997) by member organizations interested in its activities. At present, this non-profit association has legal existence (within the framework of French law) and new statutes approved during its General Assembly held in Zakopane (Poland) in October 2000.

INBO member organizations, belonging to the same geographic region, may create a "Regional Network" if they wish to do so in order to :

• strengthen relations between member organizations from neighbouring countries,
• develop INBO joint activities in the region,
• organize joint activities of regional interest.

The regional network is made up, on a voluntary basis, of INBO member organizations and observers located in the region.

In Latin America, the Latin-American Network of Basin Organizations (RELOB) exists since 1997. It was created during an Assembly which met in Bogota (Colombia). .

Further to the Constituent Assembly which took place in Warsaw (Poland) in June 2001, a Regional Network for Central and Eastern Europe (CEENBO) is also in the process of being set up.

Other surveys are being carried out for the Western part of Africa, the Mediterranean region or South-East Asia.

The 43 organizations of 15 founder countries of the Aix-les-Bains Assembly have, at present, become 134 member organizations in 51 countries.

The INBO network is gathering a wealth of information and experiences. These are becoming more and more copious and are regularly collected and published in "the INBO Newsletter" the tenth edition of which will be published at the end of 2001 (11.000 copies in French, English and Spanish) and on the Network's Internet website "www.oieau.org/riob"

Today, after 7 years in existence, INBO can draw several lessons regarding its activity and that of its members :

• whatever the interest and involvement of the members, important continuous means are needed to lead such a network, in terms of time spent, communication and travel expenses,
• the preparatory period for drawing up projects is very long, always several months, even several years : one must never expect tangible results apart from a planned follow-up of the activities over at least three years,
• the setting up of institutional reforms, in the countries or within the organizations, must be foreseen from a long term viewpoint and implies the mobilizing of considerable human and budgetary means :

Take the example of Mexico : the reforms were proposed in 1990, the federal framework-law was voted in 1992 and the basin committees set up at the end of 2000 … The cost of "PROMMA" is estimated at 300 million US$.

Thus, nothing can succeed without a strong and constantly reaffirmed political will.

• Most of the logistic means to ensure sound administrative management are non-existent in many countries, especially in terms of monitoring the resources and the uses, identifying the users, accessing the documentation, mapping, etc …, that means integrated systems for observing each basin,
• human resources are rare, especially when it comes to mobilizing the necessary expertise, and the need for specialized training "in the new functions" is exponential, as soon as a solid application of the reforms is foreseen in the field,
• specific tools that can be adapted to the different context of each country are to be developed; it is a question of basin Committees or Councils, long-term Master Plans, priority investment programs and new finanial mecanisms.

As a result of the analyses of experiences lead over the past 7 years by INBO member-organizations and observers, the fore-mentioned has suggested to the "Global Water Partnership" the elaboration and the implementation of an ambitious "Associated Program" on a world-wide scale.

The goal of the "Associated Program" is to support all initiatives for the organization of Integrated Water Resource Management at the river basin, lake and aquifer level, whether national or shared. It also aims to develop many experiments to reconcile economic growth, social equity, environmental conservation, water protection and participation of the Civil Society.

To allow direct cooperation for stimulating and supporting water management at river basin level.

To promote the setting up and development of new basin organizations and assist with their management options.

To help, on request, making progress in this long process of discussion, reflection, dialogue and decision-making undertaken at the level of river basins, or at the national or regional level.

These teams may be broadened to experts from international organizations.

To collect and analyze actual practices in order to generate ideas and recommendations, and to promote practical guidelines for putting integrated river basin management into practice.

To promote the initiation of pilot projects and implementation of institutional reforms in interested countries.

To exchange knowledge of water resource management at river basin level. To allow all INBO members and possible partners to share and exchange institutional documentation.

AQUADOC-INTER aims to :

AQUADOC-INTER is already being implemented in Latin America and Europe.

In the Mediterranean, EMWIS involves the 27 countries signatories of the Barcelona Convention.

Therefore, the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) must ensure a strong overall leadership of the Associated Program, supported by the regional relays, the RELOB or the CEENBO in particular ……

The steering of the Associated Program is entrusted to :

All GWP initiatives rely on a close interaction between GWP's regional TACs and future Regional Water Partnerships to ensure adequacy between the services provided by the Associated Programs and the real needs observed.

The Associated Program is at the launching stage since its approval at the end of 2000.

Among the important events during 2001 one should note :

Several projects are under way or being assembled. This is the case in Central America or in Central and Eastern Europe in particular, with the application of the new European Water Framework Directive in this area.

Thus, things are progressing, but slowly, just as expected, for that matter.

However, it is essential to mobilize exceptional means to ensure, for good, the operational launching of the Associated Program before the INBO General Assembly, to be held in Quebec in May 2002.

It would be advisable :

with special support for the ongoing initiative in Central America.

• international basin organization in Central America,
• integrated system for monitoring the water quality of the Vistula (Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine) and of the Tiza (Hungary, Romania),
• methodology for enforcement of the Community Water Framework Directive in Central and Eastern Europe,
• support for setting up Water Agencies in Algeria and Morocco,
• development of the Aquadoc-Inter system in Central Europe and in Latin America,
• experimental basin information centres in Mexico,
• twinning, especially with Brazil, Mexico, Poland or Romania….

THE PROPOSED ACTION AND SUPPORT PROGRAM IS THE FOLLOWING :

• Expert-Engineer for projects support (PTS/INBO),

(6 missions x 6 days # 1,5 months) :

• RELOB Secretariat  :

• CEENBO Secretariat  :

• Secretariat in Central America  :

2.1 – South and Central America :

• intercontinental travel :

• regional travel :

• perd diem :

2.2 – West Africa :

• intercontinental travel :

• regional travel

• per diem :

2.3 - Asia :

• Intercontinental travel :

• per diem :

2.4 – Central and Eastern Europe :

• regional rounds :

• per diem :

2.5 - Mediterranean :

• regional rounds :

• per diem :

• Global Water Partnership : 50.000 €

c/o International Office for Water

21, rue de Madrid

75008 PARIS - FRANCE

Tél. : 33 (1) 44 90 88 60

Fax : 33 (1) 40 08 01 45

E-mail : riob2@wanadoo.fr