Guidelines for the establishment and management of multi-stakeholder platforms to coordinate integrated water resources management in river basins with a focus on the Central Rift Valley Lakes Basin of Ethiopia

Water resources policy in Ethiopia emphasizes the significance of integrated water resources management (IWRM) in river basins. The Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE) with its different directorates is vested with the responsibility of coordinating water resource management across basins. As part of executing this mandate, MoWE initiated the preparation of guidelines for establishment and management of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) to coordinate IWRM in various basins. The guidelines presented in this publication focus on coordinating and managing water resources in the Central Rift Valley Lakes Basin within the Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes Basin. This basin faces numerous water-related challenges such as increasing water demand, pollution, ecosystem degradation, climate change impacts, and conflicting water-use practices. These guidelines are aimed at defining a framework outlining the purpose, scope, and scale of MSPs as well as the key roles to be played by the governance bodies involved. While facilitating collaboration and partnership among the stakeholders involved in basin water resources management, these guidelines explicitly emphasize inclusion of women and marginalized groups. They highlight the essential elements required for effective management and governance of MSPs and underline the need for facilitation, trust-building, planning, goal-setting, effective communication, and a commitment to participatory decision-making. Ultimately, MoWE bears the responsibility of making the final decisions. Collaborative dialogue and inclusive decision-making processes are vital for sustainable water management. Integrated planning, data collection, monitoring, and evaluation are important for taking well-informed decisions. Therefore, our guidelines recommend capacity-building initiatives and knowledge-exchange platforms to enhance the effectiveness of MSPs. Additionally, strategies and mechanisms for securing the financial resources needed to implement IWRM plans and activities are emphasized. As effective communication plays a vital role in MSP processes, there is a need to define objectives, identify stakeholders, select communication channels, establish communication protocols, build relationships and trust, and develop outreach materials. Gender issues in water resources management, particularly access to water and control and ownership, are highlighted in these guidelines. Capacity-building activities are recommended to enhance the knowledge and skills of the stakeholders involved in the MSPs. Lastly, the guidelines stress the importance of monitoring and evaluating the MSPs involved in basin management. Such evaluations involve measuring stakeholder engagement, policy alignment, knowledge sharing, and collaboration and partnerships. These guidelines can be used by basin and sub-basin coordination experts and officials to establish and manage MSPs in the Central Rift Valley as well as beyond.