IUCN trains stakeholders on participatory approaches in water resource management

Using participatory approaches in water resources management has become extremely vital to insure achieving a mutual goal and come up with a win-win situation among stakeholders. IUCN West Asia/Middle East Regional Water Resources & Drylands Programme (REWARD) in cooperation with MercyCorps conducted a training workshop on Participatory Approach for Integrated Water Resources Management in Jordan during 4-6 January 2009.

This workshop focused on enhancing the technical skills of participants in participatory water resource management plans, giving special attention to developing strategies, visioning, assessments, implementation and reflections.

This training workshop was conducted in response to the memorandum of understanding that was signed between IUCN WAME REWARD Programme and MercyCorps in November 2008. This agreement aims at improving the cooperation between both parties in capacity building for local communities in Zarqa governorate and MercyCoprs staff on participatory planning, management and facilitation skills. In addition, both organizations shall explore funding opportunities, exchange field visits between projects' stakeholders, and funding pilot initiatives in overlapping areas.

Twenty participants from Ministry of Environment in Jordan, Royal Society for Conservation of Nature (RSCN), Arab Women Organization of Jordan, in addition to MercyCorps, Royal Scientific Society and the University of Jordan have participated in this workshop.

This workshop will help improve the cooperation and unify the efforts at Zarqa Governorate among all the Stakeholders, especially with the four projects that are being implemented at Zarqa Governorate from different organizations at the same time. The projects are; Zarqa River Restoration Project implemented by Ministry of Environment in cooperation with IUCN, Water Right project implemented by the Arab Women Organization, Water for School Project which will be implemented by RSCN in cooperation with IUCN and finally the Community-based initiative for Water Demand Management project implemented by MercyCorps.