Twinning basin organisations to improve performance
Rivers are important sources of water across the globe. Large rivers often traverse several countries from source to destination. This multinational aspect further complicates the already challenging issue of water management. Experience has demonstrated that basin organisations (BOs) are essential for achieving successful integrated water resources management (IWRM). Yet most efforts to gather together stakeholders from several nations often fail. The EU-funded 'Promoting Twinning of River Basins for Developing Integrated Water Resources Management Practices' (Twinbasinxn) project aimed to connect BOs with one another in order to identify and adopt best practices. A steering committee headed by the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) composed of members from several continents was established in the context of Twinbasinxn. Numerous BOs were invited to share their experience and recommendations for effective IWRM. The Twinbasinxn team helped organise and disseminate this information to all participating BOs. Implementation of the proposals was further bolstered by on-site exchanges between BOs paired, or twinned, with one another. Important work was also done on developing key performance indicators (KPIs) addressing water management policies and their impact. Positive feedback from the BOs fuelled efforts to extend the twinning activities beyond the end of the Twinbasinxn project.