Twinning programme

This programme was launched in May 2024 at the World Water Forum to accelerate the achievement of the water-related SDGs (6.5.1, 6.5.2) by and for basin organisations.

A programme coordinated by several partners and based on the principles of the Dakar Action Plan for river basins, lakes and aquifers:

• DYNOBA (French Development Agency)
• Process of “peer to peer” support for basin organisations (European Commission)
• Interagencies (French Water Agencies)

What are its objectives?

Promote and develop good practices in integrated water resources management (IWRM) by focusing on capacity building within the basin organisations themselves, through:

• exchanges between peers and twinning alliances between the advisory organisations,
• the development of the expertise and capacities of the advisory organisations in the thematic areas of integrated water resources management:
  • legal frameworks and institutional organisation,
  • the development and implementation of river basin management plans with the participation of stakeholders,
  • water monitoring and information systems,
  • financing.

What activities are possible?

• Peer-to-peer exchanges between twinned basins (North-South, South-South, North-North): online and face-to-face exchange of staff, reports thanks to the structuring of the exchange providing methodological and financial support and facilitating exchange between basins.
• Promotion of twinning between basin organisations, dissemination and diffusion at global level.
• Dissemination of lessons learned on a global scale (among peers and to the public: policy recommendations to countries and other institutions, preparation of recommendations on technical work – by project experts in a few pages, organisation of webinars, sessions, round tables, etc.).
• Update of key performance indicators (KPIs) for each basin organisation.
• General coordination and steering of the project.

Peer-2-Peer project in partnership with the European Commission

As the first confirmed component of this initiative, a “Peer-to-Peer” support project for river basins has been developed with the support of the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA). The overall aim of this action is to improve the sustainable management of water resources in a context of increasing pressure and climate change, through global exchanges of experience between teams from the basin organisations themselves.

The project was officially announced at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, during the political segment dedicated to basins on 22 May.