The Malawi Water Partnership solved the issue of institutional memory by involving as many high-level decision-makers as possible. Early on in the process the Malawi Water Partnership organised awareness raising workshops for all senior civil servants which are the permanent secretaries in charge of water related sector ministries. Each of these permanent secretaries then briefed their ministers on the initiative.
Ministry of Irrigation and Water Development in close collaboration with the Malawi Water Partnership (MWP), has developed this Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Efficiency (IWRM/WE) Plan. Key stakeholders comprised of individuals, institutions and organisations from relevant sectors participated at various stages of the process or were consulted for information or opinions. The Plan has been developed with the goal of ensuring the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources by maximising economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of environmental systems.
The Strategic Framework of the Plan included the five priority areas which are critical in the success of IWRM/WE in Malawi. The priority areas were identified through a consultative and collaborative process. These are:
- Policy, legal and institutional environment (the “enabling” environment)
- Co-ordination and Managing Implementation
- Integrated Catchment Management
- IWRM Institutional Capacity Building;
- Sustainable Water Resources Utilisation.
For each priority area, Action Plans have been developed with specific time-bound interventions to tackle the five priority areas. The Action Plans describes the goals, objectives and interventions for each strategic area.