Towards Integrated River Basin and Water Management?

As mentioned by the previous blog post, the Bakolori Dam failed to take into consideration the needs of multiple different users of the basin, whether that be the upstream, downstream or irrigation zone users. Integrated river basin and water management (IRBWM), however, seeks to manage water resources in a comprehensive and holistic way, by considering it from several different dimensions. The aims of the IRBWM are really reflected in each of the terms used. It aims to integrate all water resource demands, manage this across time and space using data across the whole basin and considering how changes to the upstream may have an impact downstream (Savenije & Van der Zaag, 2008). 

Admittedly, this does seem to be a very ambitious task, but it is something that should be committed towards resolving difficulties (Van der Zaag, 2005), as seen in the case of the Bakolori Dam. Africa’s implementation of the IRBWM, however, has been comparatively lower than the global average. 

Figure 1 - Map showing implementation status of aquifer or basin management plans across Africa (AMCOW, 2018) 

Figure 1 presents that 55% of African countries have no basin or aquifer management plans or are currently developing these. Further research also shows that 71% of African countries are in the medium-low to very-low categories of implementation of IWRM. This projects to around three-quarters of African countries being unable to meet the global SDG of integrated water resources management at all levels unless progress is significantly accelerated (AMCOW, 2018).

IWRM in Cameroon 

Agriculture is significant for the economy and livelihoods of Cameroonians, just like for many other developing countries. The problem for Cameroon is not necessarily the availability of water, but the poor management of water resources. This maps out to conflict, as high irrigation demands for agriculture means less freshwater for drinking and industrial use. Polluted drainage flows from agriculture result in polluted river flows and will threaten ecosystems. But if water is left in rivers to protect fisheries and ecosystems, less can be used for crops. As Cameroon faces these issues and is a member of seven international/transboundary river basins, the IRBWM should be integral (Ako et al, 2010). 

The basis for such sustainable management includes the use of data for water resource assessments. Whilst there are huge volumes of data in the US and UK due the high prevalence of gauging stations, this data is not widely available for many African countries as “the capacity of hydrological offices in many developing countries, particularly in Africa, has been declining when it comes to the operation, maintenance and extension of hydrological networks'' (UNESCO, 2012). This shows the difficulty in being able to access hydrometeorological data that vitally underpin such water assessments that are needed to inform IWRM. 

To conclude, IWRM is vital to ensure that water demands are met in a sustainable and holistic way. The issues of methods to help manage food and water demands such as irrigation, groundwater extraction and dam-building is that they are not inclusive to all due to various reasons, such as cost. They even have adverse impacts to water users across temporal and spatial scales, such as reducing agricultural crop yield downstream in the case of dams. Although IRBWM is relevant, it is an elusive and fuzzy concept. As Figure 1 suggests, Central Africa needs more practical support  (awareness-raising and capacity development in particular) to accelerate water policy and water law reform processes and IWRM planning, and should foster inclusive multi-stakeholder participation and the establishment and/or consolidation of relevant water management institutions (AMCOW, 2018).