Knowledge Seminar on Integrated Water Resources Management

On 16 May 2016 the IDB and ICBA organized the seminar on IWRM titled “Water crisis or water management crisis?” during the 41st Annual Meeting of the IDB Group in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The seminar brought together over 100 participants, including government officials, researchers, academics, from different countries working in and on water resources management to discuss past and current challenges of IWRM planning and implementation.

The main objectives included:

• Understanding, sharing and raising awareness of the IWRM concept and principles vis-à-vis the energy-food-water nexus concept
• Sharing the best practices and key success factors in the areas of development and implementation of the IWRM plan
• Experience in the water sector and lessons learned to channel investments
• Lessons learned for the IWRM plan development and implementation and its potential replication in IDB member countries

The seminar highlighted IDB’s and ICBA’s contributions and experiences in the water sector as well as the experiences of the Government of Indonesia and other member countries. In particular, participants shared lessons learned in the water sector in IDB member countries in terms of the challenges facing water resources planning and implementation. Discussions were also held on advantages and contributions of IWRM to the development sector, experiences in planning and prioritizing investments in the water sector as well as other cross-cutting sectors that require water resources, IWRM approaches in member countries and the challenges faced during implementation.

Overall, the seminar helped to shed light on how a renewed agenda for water resources might contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.