PART II Chapter 7. WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT Project for National Water Resources Master Plan in the Republic of Malawi Final Report: Part II Master Plan CHAPTER 7. WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 7.1 Integrated Water Resources Management in Malawi Water resources management which follows the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been recognized and adopted by key players who utilize water for various social and/or economic activities in a very wide cross-section of sectors. IWRM for instance has been adopted for its importance in relation to the efficient production of food crops in irrigation agriculture, for its assistance in reducing water-related health risks, and its important role in reducing the risks of floods and droughts. The key principles in IWRM agreed in the international conference on water and the environment in DuBrin in 1992, known as “The DuBrin Principles”, are as follows: Freshwater is a finite and vulnerable resource, essential to sustain life, development and the environment; Water development and management should be based on a participatory approach involving users, planners and policy makers at all levels; Women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water; and Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognized as an economic good. Furthermore, the widely accepted Global Water Partnership’s definition of IWRM is as follows: “WRM is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems”. 7.1.1 Specific Features in Malawi Water Resources IWRM has proven to be a flexible approach to water management that can adapt to diverse local and national contexts. The details in planning and implementation should reflect local water issues and management conditions. In order to formulate the IWRM in Malawi properly, the following features of Malawi shall be deliberated: There are 17 Water Resources Areas (WRAs) dividing the national territory by their drainage areas, and their areas range widely from the 3.3 km2 of Chizumulu Island to the 18,910.6 km2 of the Shire River Basin. Thus, there are big differences in importance from socio-economic activities and development effects to national economy so that it is not practicable to deal with them. Development needs in domestic water supply, hydropower generation, and agriculture, as well as flood risk, extend over the entire WRAs. Thus, IWRM shall identify the specific demands and risks of each WRA and address their issues in the process of plan formulation. Based on the above considerations, key development issues are identified from the present situation of water resources development and management in Malawi, as shown in Table 7.1.1. It is notable that the Parliament passed the Water Resources Act, which among others seeks to address the problem of water resources management on March 5, 2013. The Act stipulates the establishment of the National Water Resources Authority and the Catchment Management Committee, which closely relate to IWRM. The following are some notable points on the Authority, the Committee and the National Water Resources Master Plan stipulated in the Act, which is a great progress and back-support for the realization of IWRM. (1) National Water Resources Authority The National Water Resources Authority, which consists of high position people such as Principal Secretaries of related government agencies and representatives of related associations and NGOs, has the following major power and functions related to IWRM: CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. 7-1 Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd. NEWJEC Inc. Project for National Water Resources Master Plan Final Report: Part II Master Plan in the Republic of Malawi To develop principles, guidelines and procedures for the allocation of water resources; To monitor, and from time to time reassess, the National Water Policy and the National Water Resources Master Plan; To manage and protect water catchment; To gather and maintain information on water resources and from time to time to publish forecasts, projections and information on water resources; To liaise with the relevant stakeholders for the better regulation and management of water resources; To assist the Minister in the coordination of hydrological and hydrogeological investigations; To coordinate the preparation, implementation and amendment of a water action plan and to recommend the water action plan to the Minister; and To advise the responsible Minister, as the case may require, on any dispute between agencies involved in water management that may be referred to it. (2) Catchment Management Committee Regarding the Catchment Management Committee, the Authority may by notice publish in the gazette, designate a defined area from which rainwater flows or drains into a watercourse, to be a catchment area for the purpose of the Act. The Authority may establish a catchment management committee for a specific catchment area after public consultations on the proposal of the community and stakeholders concerned, or the Authority may establish a catchment management committee on its own initiative. A catchment management committee shall consist of the representatives of government agencies related to water resources in the catchment area and representatives of various stakeholders within the catchment area concerned. The committee shall advise officers of the Authority as to: (a) water resources conservation, use and allocation; (b) the grant, adjustment, cancellation or variation of any license and permit under the Act; and (c) any other matters pertinent to the proper management of water resources. (3) National Water Resources Master Plan The Act stipulates the following items to address in the National Water Resources Master Plan: Water balance for each catchment area that compares forecasted water demand with data and information regarding water availability; Proposed options for meeting forecasted demand for each catchment area in which forecasted water demands exceed available supply, which options may include: (a) water demand management programs; (b) necessary infrastructure construction; and (c) any other measure, including appropriate legal reforms considered necessary in achieving the objectives of the National Water Resources Master Plan; The protection of water resources from over-exploitation and pollution; and Conservation of water resources, including the recycling and re-use of wastewater, the harvesting of rainwater, and any other suitable conservation practice and technique. 7.1.2 Overall Approach for Integrated Water Resources Management Taking the discussion in the preceding sections into consideration, the approach for proper configuration of the water resources management, which contains clarification of specific features of WRAs and their classification for easy ways to manage the basins or WRAs, shall enter at the basin analysis. The chart in Figure 7.1.1 presents the basic approach. 7-2 CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. Oriental Consultants Co., Ltd. NEWJEC Inc. Inc. NEWJEC Oriental Ltd. Co., Consultants CTI Engineering in R Project esources the R for Table 7.1.1 Key Development Issues in the Water Resources Management of Malawi epublic M N aster ational No Key Development Issues Actual Conditions Way to Address the Issues of International 1 Securing food production To increase agriculture productivity and diversification, promoting irrigation To assess the water supply potential from the P Malawi lan farming is one of key strategies in MGDS I & II. The Malawi Government is relevant river system and propose proper supply W ater ater carrying out a national-scale project ‘Green Belt Irrigation and Water capacity and system to the subject area Development’. But total irrigation area of 90,563 ha is equivalent to only Co., Ltd. Co., 2.3 % of arable area of 3,994,000 ha in 2011. 2 Ensuring sustainable water infrastructures To improve access to water through an integrated water management system, To prioritize the necessary demand areas and increasing number of people connected to piped water supply systems in both assess the suitable water sources and supply urban and rural areas. Through the continuous effort to increase the access, capacity significant improvement shows up to 75 % to total population in service coverage of improved water supply. 3 Managing the water-energy relationship To generate and distribute sufficient amount of energy to meet national To evaluate hydrological potential to the socio-economic demands, construction of hydropower stations along the major proposed hydropower generation plants and river courses shall be necessary. In 2010, the access rate of electricity is still downstream effects in river hydrology low, only 9 %. 4 Collaboration in the management of land In relation to low energy supply rate, most people rely on biomass energy To assess the deforestation effects in hydrology, and water produced by logged woods. As a result, forest areas have reduced for a long in particular increase of drought vulnerability period. In 2010, forest-covered area remains at 35 % to the total land. and sediment runoff, and to propose the well-functioning collaboration between water and watershed conservation 5 Adapting to climate change Monitoring system on climate changes is not sufficient. In particular, early To