The set-up of river basin committees, representing the population within a river basin as well as academia, government and others is crucial for the success of river management. The connection between the local population and the water resources, especially in the Tha Di river basin, is very strong. Within the local communities knowledge on changes in climate and natural disasters (flood and drought events) has been passed down from generation to generation without much written documentation. The concept of flood protection via living weirs originated from the local riparian communities and strong leaders with innovative ideas and the willingness to experiment different approaches for flood and drought protection. Combining this strong ownership with hydrological data from local universities and the administrative capacity from the regional governing institutions allows for a holistic water management approach. All these actors are represented within the river basin committees.
• strong community partnership and ownership • innovative ideas and willingness to experiment • willingness to contribute with resources (time, manpower, local material) • river basin committees are the bridge between local stakeholders and water management institutions of the government
The river basin committees (RBCs) in different river basins were at very different stages at the beginning of the project. Some were fully established, which allowed easier communication with the local population as well as cooperation between local stakeholders, public sector and academia. Other RBCs had not held their first meeting when the project started. Here local stakeholders took strong ownership over their water recourses, which allowed the project to progress while the RBC was still in the process of being established.