Water, land and people: a learning initiative implemented in Bolivia, Mali and India

This document reports on findings from learning groups relating to water management in Bolivia, India and Mali during 2005-2006. The groups analysed specific topics with the aim of improving the current and future development strategies of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). In each of the three countries, the learning group identified key topics to address – equity, empowerment and environmental sustainability were identified as cross-cutting issues. The learning process resulted in products that can be used as a resource base at different levels including local, national, policy and wider public. Key lessons include:

where there are changes on the use of land, conflicts occur due to water access when the systems are not planned with a multiple use vision 
the availability of the water resource is integral to the development of women’s organisations – allowing the creation of substantial incomes for families and communities 
it is time to shift focus from development to management of water resources by improving water management mechanisms to address competition for a finite resource such as groundwater.

Whilst the ‘learning process’ demonstrated that:

story-telling is an innovative learning tool – it allowed participants to break out of the usual more formal setting, seeing complex issues from previously unperceived angles 
the learning process is most effective and motivating if intermediate results are produced and immediately used as inputs for decision-making and in other learning initiatives 
the stakeholders should own the learning process but this can only be achieved if they are involved right from the planning stage.