Integrated Watershed Management Research & Development Capacity Building

The project „Integrated Watershed Management Research and Development Capacity Building” is designed as an interdisciplinary research, development, and capacity building project of Freie Universität Berlin, United Nations University, Kenyatta University, University of Cape Town, University Yaounde I, and IWM Expert GmbH.

Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) is a wide accepted concept to sustainable manage human and natural resources of a watershed in order to keep and increase livelihood of the local population. However, management and development competences in the sector of IWM are lacking, not only due to missing capacity building opportunities, but due to a severe communication gap among the different IWM stakeholder: researchers, regulatory authorities, water resources users associations and other community based interact too little but communicate dominantly within their stakeholder group. The overall objective of this project aims at strengthening information and knowledge transfer among the different stakeholder groups with regard to IWM. Thus, the project contributes to reach the MDGs 7 (ensure environmental sustainability) and MDG 1 (eradicate extreme poverty and hunger) and supports international exchange in research and education.

Concept:

The project aims at fostering knowledge transfer among the three IWM stakeholder groups in the partner countries Cameroon, Kenya, and South Africa.

• IWM scientists and researchers who actively conduct capacity building measures
• Regulatory and local authorities, water resources management authorities
• Local population and local water resources users associations.

In Africa, all three stakeholder groups are facing similar conceptual challenges:

• Lacking capacity and knowledge in project management, such as designing project concepts, writing project proposals, managing human resources, raising funds, etc.
• Lack of visions about tentative research and development options
• Deficit in communication structures and knowledge transfer between the stakeholder groups

These challenges shall be faced by conducting joint research and development activities in the three partner countries Kenya, South Africa and Cameroon. The establishment of “living laboratories” in each partner country shall assist in fostering communication and exchange among all stakeholders in order to assess current challenges in particular watersheds and to draft joint management solving options. Management options shall be levelled to realisable options for the local communities. “Living laboratories” are catchment areas of less than 70 km² where researchers, practitioners from institutions and locals meet regular for intensive communication and knowledge transfer

Activities:

The project aims at conducting following research and development activities in the partner countries Cameroon, South Africa and Kenya.

• Annual project management meetings.
• Short courses on IWM in the living laboratories.
• Research by PhD and MSc with regard to IWM, capacity building and e-learning.
• Development of an interactive communication and learning platform.

The project is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD and the Centre for International Cooperation CIC of FU Berlin through the Institute of Geographical Sciences of FU Berlin

• Management: IWM Expert GmbH in cooperation with Physical Geography, Freie Universität Berlin.
• Volume: 380.000 € (300.000 € DAAD / 80.000 € FUB.