Maintaining adequate water availability and quality requires, among others, the appropriate and sustainable management of upstream watersheds. In this context, applying the precautionary principle is of key importance in the Mekong region, because many upstream watersheds, at least from a water resources point of view, have presently only minor or no problems with sustainable management. However, it can be predicted that the presently still favourable situation will deteriorate rapidly, particularly due to rapid population growth and accelerating agricultural intensification.

The core issue of the Watershed Management Project (WSMP) is hence sustainable management of upstream watersheds. In addressing this issue, the WSMP focuses less on technical aspects of watershed management, but rather on its institutional requirements, because the efficient cooperation of all sectors involved and the participation of all relevant stakeholders are necessary preconditions for watershed management.

The overall objective of the project is improvement of planning and coordination of sustainable management of resources in watersheds by selected relevant organisations of the four Lower Mekong Basin riparian countries at national and regional levels.

The project is active mostly at the lower administrative levels (district and provincial), however it closely involves the national sector line agencies (ministries, National Mekong Committees). Acting at this level is seen as complementary to and is coordinated with other activities of MRC that target higher administrative levels (national, international).

The project is providing services in the following core areas:

Policy analysis and advice: Support to national and local working groups, introduction to and further development of methods and instruments for improved analysis, planning and implementation of sustainable management of resources and support of a regional policy dialogue.

Information and Knowledge Management: Documentation of experiences made in pilot watersheds, in existing programmes of German development cooperation, and in riparian countries, and their exchange at regional level through workshops, meetings, and Intra- and Internet-based information systems.

Capacity Development: Logistic and organisational support, seminars, workshops, training courses. The project also maintains the MekongInfo information database. www.mekonginfo.org.