The Tungabhadra River Basin - Proceedings of the first stakeholder meeting under the STRIVER project

This document presents the proceedings of the first stakeholder meeting under the STRIVER project for the Tungabhadra River Basin. The meeting involved representatives from different stakeholder groups like the Irrigation Departments and Command Area Development Agencies (CADAs), Forest Department, Pollution Control Board, Fisheries Department, NGOs and civil society groups from the Tungabhadra basin, representatives of Water User Associations and farmers. Only the representation from industries was lacking in this meeting.

The major objectives of the meeting were -

• To introduce the STRIVER project and how it could contribute to the Tungabhadra river basin management;
• To solicit the views and opinions of local experts and representatives of different stakeholders from the basin as to the current issues and challenges within the basin, which can further shape the research agenda of the STRIVER project;
• To set up a mechanism for uptake and dissemination of the research results;
• To form a network to work towards the formation of a Multi Stakeholder Platform in the Tungabhadra basin; and
• To work towards a long-term process for managing the river basin.

The strategy and methodology for improved IWRM (Integrated Water Resource Management) in an integrated interdisciplinary assessment in four twinning river basins under the STRIVER project was explained. STRIVER is a research project where the research institutes involved study conditions, develop methods, and try to provide advice. Both the scientific and water management communities have pointed out that there is the lack of clear methodologies, and that there are problems in the operationalisation of IWRM.

STRIVER will develop interdisciplinary methods to assess and implement IWRM. Based on the development of a multidisciplinary knowledge based assessment in all case studies (policy, social and natural sciences) and the development of an IWRM conceptual framework, the project will undertake IWRM analyses in the four selected twinned catchments covering six countries in Europe and Asia.

The presentation was followed by a brief discussion. The discussion mainly centered on the nature and content of capacity building, dissemination and data. Some of the important points raised include: 

• The emphasis of the project is on twinning meaning shared learning and the project also aims to share the learnings with non-project partners;
• Not much is happening in the implementation of IWRM due to conflicts, different viewpoints and growing trend of privatisation of water sector;
• Data needs to be compiled.  Access and reliability of data: different stakeholders should share available data and available data should be digitalized at sub river basin level. Also it is important to put raw (unprocessed) data in the public domain. There is also large gap between government data and the reality on the ground;
• Reliability and acceptability of the data by the stakeholders is important. That’s why such meetings (like the present one) are organized as part of consensus building. Here the stakeholder process is important. Also there should be social acceptability of the different components of IWRM; and
• Pollution Control Board (PCB) has collected reliable data from 25 points of the river. 

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