Strategy and methodology for improwed IWRM: An integrated interdisciplinary assessment in four twinning river basins

The STRIVER project a STREP funded under the following Environment Programme in FP6: Global Change and Ecosystems Research area: II. Water cycle, including soil-related aspects II.3.1. Integrated water management at catchment scale SUSTDEV-2005-3.II.3.6: Twinning European/third countries river basins. The project has a duration of 36 months (July 2006-June 2009). 2 Norwegian institutes share the coordination. NIVA is the principal contractor whereas Bioforsk is responsible for the scientific coordination. Bioforsk became partner in the project in April 2007 after an amendment request to the contract. Given this and some further amendments made in 2008, this SAM-application is submitted rather late into the project. Attached, the last version of the DOW a pproved by the EU Commission Oct.29th 2008 and received by NIVA Dec 16th. Ref attached letter from NIVA pr d.d. The point of departure for STRIVER is the lack of clear methodologies and problems in operationalisation of Integrated Water Resource Manage ment (IWRM) as pointed out by both the scientific and management communities. STRIVER will develop interdisciplinary methods to assess and implement IWRM. Based on the development of a multidisciplinary knowledge base assessment in all case studies (polic y, social and natural sciences) and an early stage development of IWRM conceptual framework, the project will undertake IWRM in the four selected twinned catchments covering six countries in Europe and Asia. Twinning activities based on a problem-based ap proach will be performed in four case river basins: Tungabahdra (2 states in India) Sesan (Vietnam/Cambodia) Glomma (Norway) Tagus(Spain/Portugal)