Danube River and Orange-Senqu River Basin

The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) won the Thiess International Riverprize in 2007 for significant achievements and excellence in river management recognising the work undertaken for the past 15 years to overcome political and economical obstacles.

The ICPDR and Orange-Senqu River Commission (ORASECOM) have established a long-term collaborative relationship. The two Commissions entered into a Memorandum of Understanding regarding cooperation on Technical assistance, capacity building, and information sharing on transboundary river basin management and other related issues at a meeting in Vienna, Austria on the 13th of July 2008.

The twinning exchange of knowledge and experience will be focussed on the following:

• Institutional and organisational development of River Basin Organisations including procedures and operations, and participation of key stakeholders such as NGOs and the business community in both operational activities and official meetings;
• Implementation of legal instruments that regulate the operations of a River Basin Organisation;
• Development of common policy framework in trans-boundary basin system;
• Balancing priorities among different stakeholders and interest groups as well as improving stakeholder participation in basin management; and
• Technical assistance in the development of basin wide management plans for – improving stakeholder participation in basin management; infrastructural development (e.g. GIS data bases); pollution control, monitoring and water analysis.