Descrição: Since the International Conference on Water and the Environment in Dublin in 1992, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has emerged as driving concept behind the management of water resources. Latin America has been no exception (Biswas 2008a). Since the 1990s, most countries in Latin America introduced water management policies which incorporate principles linked to IWRM. Two cornerstone principles of many water policies in Latin America are that of subsidiary, what means decentralization to the lowest appropriate level, and participatory governance, in which stakeholders are strongly involved in decision-making regarding water allocation and management. As Abers (2007) argues, however, decentralization of water policy requires not so much the transfer of powers, but rather the creation of power at new territorial levels. This means that implementing the new water polices has frequently meant creating new organizations and institutions. These organizations, which often involve a wide-array of stakeholders, require decision-making and implementing capacities to be developed in a way that in general previously did not exist. Specifically, these organizations require the capacity to implement water management instruments (economic instruments, rules/regulations, information system, planning, etc.). This project researches to what extent these organizations, in special river basin committees, water committees, and so on, have the decision-making and implementing capabilities required. This will be done by undertaking a comparative analysis of these organizations and how they function in Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador. Based on this analysis, the project seeks to identify capacity gaps, which in turn can be used to tailor future capacity building activities which can strengthen these organizations.
Situação: Concluído;
Alunos envolvidos: Graduação (2); Mestrado acadêmico (1); Docente (3)
Integrantes: Tadeu Fabricio Malheiros – Coordenador / Mariza Guimarães Prota – Integrante / Mario Alejandro Perez Rincon – Integrante / Mario Garcia Cruz – Integrante.
Financiador(es): UNESCO Institute for Water Education – Auxílio financeiro.