Summer School on Managing Shared River Basins: Connecting Science & Policy for Integrated Water Resources Management

July 2-6, 2018

Overview

Rising populations, growing multi-sectoral needs, and increasing impacts of climate change have put Pakistan’s already limited transboundary water resources under immense stress. It is crucial to understand management of shared basins in a holistic perspective for equitable and sustainable future. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is an effective approach for managing transboundary waters which requires strong interface of science and policy. LEAD Pakistan in collaboration with Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) conducted a Summer School on IWRM under its Project titled 'Using Water Resources Systems Analysis to Guide a Transboundary Kabul River Water Partnership'. The event was hosted by COMSTECH Secretariat, Islamabad. The Summer School focused on integration of technology and policy issues. The program explored water management of Kabul River Basin as a case study for IWRM. The summer school counted with 23 participants, with 44% representation from females, hailing from districts across the country.

Objectives

1. Developing a holistic approach for integrated water resources management through enhanced understanding of policy and technology interface.
2. Building capacity of water professionals to develop a critical mass of future of Water Leaders.
3. Forge a network of water professionals to create a community of practice aimed at sharing learnings and creating synergies in their work.

Focus Areas

This program provided an introduction to policy frameworks and modeling tools for implementing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach in transboundary basins. The following areas were covered:

• Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
• Hydro-meteorological modelling and simulation tools
• Political economy of shared river basins
• Legal frameworks for transboundary waters
• Case study of Kabul River Basin

Presentations

Day 1

Climate Change - Regional Perspective by Dr Furrukh Bashir
Hydrology of Pakistan by Sohail Babar Cheema
Indus Waters Treaty by Dr Shaheen Akhtar
Introduction to Regional Climatology Burhan Ahmad
Managing Shared River Basins Supply and Demand Challenges by Pervaiz Amir
Status of Glaciers in Pakistan by Adnan Shafiq Rana

Day 2

An overview of Weather Observation Practices over Pakistan by Fayyaz Ahmed
Concepts of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) by Dr. Hassan Abbas
Data challenges in Trans-boundary River Basins - Case Study of the Upper Indus Basin by Asif Khan
Observation through Remote Sensing by M Athar Haroon
Water Resources Management in Pakistan by Hassan Abbas & Asghar Hussain

Day 3

Climate Modelling Overview by Dr. Jehangir Ashraf Awan
Legal Instruments in International (freshwater) Law by Ahmad Rafay Alam
Methods and Application of Downscaling by Dr. Jehangir Ashraf Awan
Haleem Commission Report 2

Click here to download Agenda