WATER EXECUTIVES FROM ACROSS ASIA DISCUSS LEADERSHIP IN THE REGION'S RIVER BASINS, by NARBO Secretariat* (MaximsNewsNetwork)

         UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network /  16 August 2011 - Mr. Keizrul Bin Abdullah, Chairperson of the Network of River Basin Organizations (NARBO), in discussing the management of river basins in Asia observed in his opening remarks at the 1^st Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Executive Retreat, convened by NARBO, that leadership for IWRM in Asia’s river basins today poses unprecedented challenges that compel executives from various levels of governance to guide investments across a range of organizations as well as across environmental and social disciplines, engineering, economic, stretching the boundaries of their leadership roles.  

NARBO’s mission is to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of river basin organizations (RBOs) in promoting IWRM and improving water governance, through training and exchange of information and experiences among RBOs and their associated water sector agencies and knowledge partner organizations. Japan Water Agency (JWA), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and Centre for River Basin Organizations and Management (CRBOM) jointly serve as NARBO secretariat.

Designed to discuss leadership in river basins, the retreat, held in Malang Indonesia, 20-22 June 2011, convened a small group of some of Asia’s foremost river basin executives who have demonstrated good practice in their management positions within RBOs, ministries and water councils and shown exemplary leadership for IWRM in river basins. Joining in the retreat with NARBO’s management team, the executives shared their experiences presenting case studies of river basin leadership models, and discussed keys for success in three focused areas: leadership across organizations in the basin, leadership within organizations, and personal leadership. 

H.E. Mr. Djoko Kirmanto, Minister of Public Works, Indonesia   Photo © NARBO

In his keynote opening address, H.E. Mr. Djoko Kirmanto, Minister of Public Works, Indonesia, shared his views on the importance and implications of good basin-level governance and leadership. The Minister observed that "Indonesia may share its experience in dealing with the two-types of river basin organization, as an input to the learning process of this event. We are also embarking on a process to move the public type of river basin organizations into quasi-corporate river basin organization or badan layanan umum. If in the future, the financial aspect of the quasi-corporate river basin improves, they will be transformed into corporate-type of river basin organizations"

 

The retreat was hosted by Jasa Tirta 1 Public Corporation (PJT1) and CRBOM. PJT1 is Indonesia’s ISO-certified corporate RBO for the Brantas and Solo river basins, which is held as an exemplary RBO in the region implementing the IWRM process. Taking on an increasing leadership role also on the Asian regional scene, the Ministry of Public Works formed the CRBOM in 2009, which serves as a regional water knowledge hub under the Asia-Pacific Water Forum.  

 

Over the two days, the 32 participants, stemming from Government agencies, RBOs, alongside other IWRM executives, special guests, moderators, resource persons and organizers, made short presentations about the leadership challenges and achievements in their specific river basins: Chikugo and Kizu (Japan) (including the response to the recent Great East Japan Earthquake); Haor (Bangladesh); Mahaweli (Sri Lanka); Citarum (Indonesia); Brantas (Indonesia); and Ping (Thailand). Also, the participants learned about water resources management leadership in Indonesia, Karnataka (India) and Malaysia. 

 

Mr. Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, the Lead Water Resources Specialist at the ADB, set the context for the discussions: "My suggestion is to look for a moment at the phases of the IWRM process. The first phase's objective is to convene players. Convening the players comes down to having a multi-stakeholder platform to discuss. Government and council type RBOs are typically helpful to spearhead this process. Building on the multi-stakeholder concept, adopting roadmaps would engage a coalition of partners to work. It's important to involve universities, academe and research centers to do proper and quantitative analysis based on decision of actions to be taken, and of course private and corporate sector should also be partners in this coalition for changes in the basins, as well as user associations and other government departments. The third phase is to implement the roadmaps. In considering corporate, quasi-corporate and public type RBOs, this implementing phase is critical. We should be looking for leadership of capable and well-resourced RBOs that demonstrate no less than excellence to serve their basin clients.  When you implement roadmaps, you have to have capable organizations to take a lead". ADB has been supporting IWRM investment programs in river basins, and supports a number of NARBO member organizations/ADB clients through its Water Financing Program, which aims to help introduce IWRM in 25 river basins. IWRM is a cornerstone of the 'Water for All' policy of ADB adopted in 2001.

 

IWRM is a step-by-step process of managing water resources by gradually uniting stakeholders and involving them in the planning and decision making processes. JWA, as an RBO which serves seven major river basins in Japan and as a quasi-corporate type RBO, has been contributing to the promotion of IWRM in Asia as well as in the world. The Japanese agency's practical expertise in the IWRM process and leadership in the basins has been collected in the UNESCO-NARBO IWRM Guidelines at River Basin Levels. With the guidelines, JWA has been supporting NARBO in offering a platform to share experiences within Asia, alongside theirs in Japan. At the retreat, Mr. Yasuro Nakajo, Executive Vice-President of JWA, emphasized that "leadership across organizations is how we can ensure a close relationship for understanding the needs of water users".

Another of the key players in IWRM in Asia, the ADBI, carries out Research and Capacity Building & Training, with aims to respond to two needs of developing member countries: identification of effective development strategies and improvement of the capacity for sound development management of agencies and organizations. In line with this aim, ADBI has been part of the NARBO secretariat since its establishment in 2004 with interest in improving governance in Asia and strengthening the capacity of RBOs through training courses and empirical knowledge which is derived from practice.  

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed 20th June 2011, between CRBOM, Research Centre for Water Resources, Ministry of Public Works and PJT1, to work collaboratively in achieving their vision and mission as a national center of excellence and a regional knowledge hub within a regional network of water resources organizations and management.   Photo © NARBO

In photo, left to right: Mr. Mochammad Amron, Director General of Water Resources, Ministry of Public Works of Indonesia, and NARBO Senior Adviser; Mr. Arie Moerwanto, Head of Water Research Center, Ministry of Public Works of Indonesia; Mr. Isnugroho, CRBOM Executive Director; Mr. Tjoek Walujo Subijanto, PJT1 President Director; and H.E. Mr. Djoko Kirmanto, Minister of Public Works of Indonesia

Back at the retreat, in frank, open, and sometimes candid testimonies, the leaders exchanged views and experiences, on inter-agency relations, corporate culture, collaboration with civil society, the role of the academic community, media relations, and response to calamities.

Among some of the testimonies, Mr. Yasuro Nakajo, Executive Vice-President of JWA, recounted his team’s efforts and procedures in the minutes, days and weeks following the March 11^th, M9 earthquake this year. Mr. Keizrul Bin Abdullah, NARBO Chairperson, observed that reforms were easier to implement during water crises, but that the groundwork had to be laid beforehand. Mr. Dharanipragada Satyamurty, Principal Secretary to the Government of Karnataka, Water Resources Department, India, and a certified coach, shared his experience in the systemic application of coaching principles as he leads his team of water managers in achieving specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time framed goals. Mr. Ivan de Silva, Secretary of the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management, laid out his efforts in bringing water to the ravaged North of the country, which until 2009 was stifled by over 25 years of civil war, in work that entails significant personal risk.

“Leadership is not about an individual, it is about making everybody else a leader”, remarked Mr. Ravi Narayanan, Vice Chair of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum Governing Council, while observing that the leadership attributes called upon in managing Asia’s complex and dense river systems, revolve around: anticipation (vision and planning), orientation, reconciliation (internal and external), and reaction (to new needs and opportunities).

Overall, the participants agreed on the importance of good leadership and the value of dialogue and networking as caretakers of Asia’s river basins, emphasizing NARBO's contributions particularly as an IWRM advocate, a contents provider, and a quality monitor. Participants also noted a general need for better documentation of experiences of basin-level IWRM in Asia, including on good leadership practices and models. Continued support from NARBO was encouraged, both at the regional level and via (existing and new) national NARBO chapters. 

Mr. Dharanipragada Satyamurty, Principal Secretary to Government of Karnataka, India, shared his experience in the systemic application of coaching principles. In photo, left to right: Mr. Dharanipragada Satyamurty, Principal Secretary to the Government of Karnataka, Water Resources Department, India; Mr. Keizrul Bin Abdullah, NARBO Chairperson.  Photo © NARBO

Water Experts Study Corporate Type River Basin Organizations in Asia

In a back-to-back event to the retreat, NARBO then convened the International Seminar on Corporate River Basin Organizations in Asia, in Malang, Indonesia, 22-24 June 2011. The objective of the international workshop was to explore the benefits that corporate RBOs can deliver to governments and basin stakeholders in Asia, and the necessary conditions for corporate RBOs to function effectively. Organized by the NARBO Secretariat and PJT1, and hosted by CRBOM and PJT1, the corporate RBO that oversees the watersheds of Eastern Java, some 70 participants stemming from across the Asian region and beyond convened to the seminar –RBO champions, decision-makers, academics, discussion leaders and resource persons– from Bangladesh, People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam, with institutional representatives from ADB, ADB Institute, CRBOM, UN-ESCAP, JICA, NARBO and JWA.

Mr. Basuki Hadimoeljono, the Inspector General of Ministry of Public Works, Indonesia, the 1^st Chairperson of NARBO and Senior Adviser, said “the seminar provided information to policy-makers, water executives and professionals to further explore the application of corporate type river basin organizations, even through the quasi-corporate stage, and how to implement integrated water resources management at the lowest appropriate level”, in his closing remarks to the seminar.

WATER EXECUTIVES FROM ACROSS ASIA DISCUSS LEADERSHIP IN THE REGION'S RIVER BASINS, by NARBO Secretariat (MaximsNewsNetwork) Discussions at NARBO International Seminar and Executive Retreat, in Malang, Indonesia  Photo © NARBO Bottom photo, left to right: Mr. Keizrul Bin Abdullah, NARBO Chairperson; Mr. Tjoek Walujo Subijanto, PJT1 President Director;  Mr. Eko Subekti, Head of Brantas River Water Council; Mr. Syamsul Bachri, PJT1 Director of Human Resources and General Affairs; and Mr.  Xiaoliu Yang, Professor at Peking University

Top photo, left to right: Ms. Marissa Salvador-Abella, Chairperson of the HELP Davao Network, Chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Member of the Davao Watershed Management Council, Philippines; Mr. Chanthanet Boualapha, Director General, Nam Ngum River Basin Committee Secretariat, Lao PDR; Mr. Vicente Paragas, Executive Director, National Water Resources Board, Philippines; Ms. Siti Haida binti Ramli, Engineer, Selangor Water Management Authority, Malaysia; Mr. Alexsander Loktionov, Deputy Chief, Basin Water Organization “Syrdarya”, Uzbekistan

The two-day discussions proceeded, supported by a background paper presenting existing cases and a proposed analytical framework for decision-makers, which centered on: (i) strengths and weaknesses of existing types of RBOs in Asia; (ii) application and performance of corporate and quasi-corporate RBOs; and (iii) how governments can determine an appropriate RBO model. The program included presentations, panel discussions and plenary discussions.

As a starting point, an indicative distinction was offered between three types of RBOs recurring throughout the region: the council (or committee), the public RBO (under the executive branch of the state), and the corporate RBO (owned by the state, but with a certain degree of independence regarding operation, staffing and financing). Although it was quickly acknowledged that these semantic distinctions can in reality exist side by side, as exemplified in the case of Indonesia  and the Indian state of Karnataka, and that a given RBO can combine characteristics of the different types, as observed in many of the region’s river basins. It was nonetheless recognized that regardless of the institutional model, all require good leadership, and that a balance must be struck between their tasks, authority and capacities.

Against this background, participants provided ample examples and shared opinions on a variety of issues and challenges encountered within their own particular watershed realities, namely on:

•  the significance of basin-level IWRM for economic, social and environmental benefits;

•  the need to prepare the region’s river basins for the future;

•  existing and new challenges to river basin prosperity and health;

•  RBO leadership, corporate culture and human resources development;

•  stakeholder participation and public accountability;

•  roadmaps for RBO establishment and strengthening;

•  the need for good, timely and accessible data and information;

•  the contributions from universities; and

•  financing of RBOs and their development initiatives.

Solicited by the participants, RBO champions from Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka shared their 'secrets'. These typically related to confidence and respect, the building of good relations with water users, decision-makers and other stakeholders, and possibly the demonstrated ability of providing effective solutions during water shortages. 

Some participants observed that the optimal type of RBO stems from the state of infrastructure development within the basin, with some panelists further suggesting that the appropriate type of RBO must consider the water users' capacity to pay for the services, the legal framework, and the availability of human resources.

It was broadly agreed that RBOs from the region must learn from each other through networking and knowledge-sharing, and that the context and agenda of different river basins inform different types of RBOs.

NARBO, as a regional actor, can facilitate networking, disseminate 'best practices', promote specific initiatives (such as RBO benchmarking, accreditation of IWRM practitioners, and twinning programs), and support capacity-building at the regional and national level. A call was issued for more country chapters of NARBO to be created throughout the region, to help expand its impact.

In all, the seminar provided participants with the opportunity to learn about the work and performance of corporate and quasi-corporate RBOs in Asia and participants expressed an interest in applying lessons learned in their respective countries and basins. In particular, the example demonstrated by PJT1 in managing IWRM at the basin level and sustaining its operations from user revenues provided an eye-opener for many of the participants. The value of having a multi-stakeholder council in the river basin was also widely appreciated. Several RBOs proposed follow-up activities including training to facilitate cross-sectoral cooperation, and advice from NARBO on how best to arrange financing and revenue generation.

 

Spring of the Brantas River, Indonesia, 22 June 2011  Photo © NARBO

Study visit to the Brantas River Basin , 22 June 2011 The event was organized and hosted by PJT1, with participants from both the NARBO Executive Retreat on Leadership in River Basins and the subsequent NARBO International Seminar on Corporate River Basin Organizations. The Brantas River Basin comprises an area of 11,800 km2 and a population of some 16 million people (2006). The participants visited the Karangkates (Sutami) dam and reservoir, which serves for flood control, irrigation, hydropower and the supply of raw water to adjacent households, industries, as well as for flow maintenance. The next stop was at the Brantas river spring (1,458 m above sea level), where a tree planting ceremony was held in the arboretum. Briefings were given about the basin and its past and ongoing development.  The programme concluded with a visit to the Selorejo Reservoir (620 m above sea level), which serves for: flood control, irrigation, hydropower generation, and tourism and recreation.

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