InWaRM

Integrated Water Resource Management

(co-funded by Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, Austria, 2009-10)

INTRODUCTION

The practices and decison making process for taking actions considering multiple approaches to manage available water and various water resources is the focus of integrated water resources management. The planning and decisions may focus on a range of actions at various spatial scales i.e. watershed management, river basin planning, exploration and tapping of new water supply sources, designing water reservoirs and monitoring their status, developing and regulating floodplains and enacting related laws and regulations. The competition for water resources and complex institutional constraints require multiple approaches to deal with the situation. The decision-making process involves several relevant actors and agencies and it is often a time taking effort.

Detailed understanding of water resources and their effective management for achieving broader goals of promoting ‘water for future generations’ and sustainable utilisation require sophisticate methodologies and efficient technologies. The Geo-Informatics and GIScience have developed the methods for capturing, processing and analysing various types of spatial information and have the tools for multi-factor analysis, modelling and forecasts.

OBJECTIVE
  • enhance conceptual understanding of intergrated water resource management
  • introduce methods and tools of GIS-technologies to analyse various water realated factors
  • give 'hands-on' practical training using GIS-software for capturing, processing and analysing various types of spatial information for multi-variate analyses and develop alternative scenarios.
ACTIVITIES
  • conduct a short intensive ‘Train-the-Trainer Workshop’ at the host institution in India and invite participants from several Universities and organisations in South Asia
  • organise an Expert Level Conference for sharing the experience and examples of good-practices from Austria and various South Asian countries
The short intensive multi-partner ‘Train-the-Trainer Workshop’ brings together several institutions to share the ’know-how’ and generate higher multiplier effect within a short period. This also helps initiating a North-South and South-South network for future cooperation among several institutions of higher education and relevant organisations.

PARTNERS
 Organiser Institutions
AUSTRIA:
 - Austrian Academy of Sciences - GIScience, Vienna / Salzburg
 - Centre for Geoinformatics, (Z_GIS), University of Salzburg, Salzburg
 - Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, Vienna
 - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
 
INDIA:
 - Department of Geography, University of Madras, Chennai
 Participant Institutions
  
AUSTRIA:
 - Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna
 - Graz University of Technology, Graz
 - University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck
 - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
 - Vienna University of Technology, Vienna
 
BHUTAN:
 - College of Natural Resources, Royal University of Bhutan, Lobesa
 - Sherubtse College, Royal University of Bhutan, Kanglung

INDIA:
 - Anna University, Chennai
 - Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram
 - Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
 - Management Development Institute, Gurgaon
 - University College, Thiruvananthapuram
 - University of Madras, Chennai

NEPAL:
 - Institute of Forestry, Pokhara
 - Institute of Forestry, Hatauda
 - International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Khumaltar
 - Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel
 - Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
OUTCOMES
  • A Train-the-Trainer Workshop and Expert Level Conference were organised at the  Department of Geography, University of Madras, Chennai from 21st to 25th February, 2010.
  • Total number of 37 participants from 22 Universities, institutions and organisations located in Austria and 3 South Asian countries took part in the activities.
  • A joint-meeting for dicussing the 'Water for Future Generations' was convened at the Embassy of Austria in New Delhi which involved the workshop participants, invited stake-holders and high level delegates.
 Contact: Dr. Shahnawaz, Centre for Geoinformatics (Z_GIS), University of Salzburg, Austria.