Integrated Capacity Building Programme
The MRC supports an ongoing Integrated Capacity-Building Programme. This programme has provided support to the Secretariat and National Mekong Committees in each country for improved systems of administration, management and communications through a regional training programme involving a network of leading education and training institutions in the region and worldwide. This training is also expected to increase regional cooperation and integration.
The ICBP comprises several components:
- Training in Project Management
- Training in Information Management and Communication
- Training in Environmental Governance
- Junior Riparian Professional Programme
- Strengthening Core Activities of MRC
- Research Coordination
- Gender Mainstreaming
One of its most exciting initiatives is the Junior Riparian Professional Programme, which started operating in 2002. JRPs are young professionals who work at the Mekong River Commission Secretariat rotating among the Basin Development Plan programme, Water Utilisation Programme, Environment Programme and Flood Management and Mitigation Programme, gaining first-hand experience of the day-to-day planning and administration needed for effective river basin management.
They attend training sessions on key aspects of basin management, including project planning and evaluation and legal, social, economic and environmental issues. They engage in research, report-writing, making presentations and attending workshops and meetings with government officers, donors and civil society representatives and learn hands-on project management by taking on appropriate responsibility within a team of regional and international staff. To date nine JRPs have been through or are participating in the scheme in the MRC Secretariat.
MRC programmes also play an active role in increasing knowledge within the basin.
- The Fisheries Programme has completed a three year capacity building programme in fisheries co-management. This programme has now trained around 120 mid-to senior level management staff from line agencies and more than 500 users from community groups across the four countries. 1,600 Government staff and about 4,000 users have also participated in Management of River and Reservoir Fisheries led training activities.
- The Watershed Component of the Agriculture Forestry and Irrigation Programme has conducted regular training workshops in watershed management.
- The AHNIP project has trained hydrologists to interpret and monitor data from the MRC’s 23 hydrometeorological stations throughout the basin.
- The Environment Programme has involved many riparian professionals in its water quality monitoring programme and has introduced them to data analysis through local workshops.
- The MRCS BDP team has developed a new training curriculum (with technical assistance from the Murray Darling River Basin Commission) to increase the knowledge of river basin planners of the future. It has also conducted study tours of the basin to learn how to deal with issues such as decision making proceeds stakeholder involvement and dealing with conflict.
- In the past year the new flood management and mitigation programme has conducted three technical workshops on satellite rainfall estimates, radio internet use in flood forecasting and flash flooding.
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