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Institutional Partnerships for Water Allocation Decisions in Multi-Use Water Systems: The Case of Lake Buhi


Sustaining a water resource base which provides multiple services requires institutional innovation, particularly with the challenges posed by changing climate. The Buhi-Barit watershed where Lake Buhi is located manifests characteristics of marginal watershed areas in developing countries that are highly vulnerable to water stress due toboth climate risks and human activities. Based on information generated from key informant interviews (KIIs) of stakeholder agencies, roundtable discussions, and workshops, this chapter discusses the policy and institutional setting governing the various uses of water in Lake Buhi. It examines the actors, processes, interests and interaction dynamic and presents how stakeholders improved coordination among institutions to adapt to climate-related risks in the context of competing uses of water. Allocation of water ideally depends on the water level of the lake which from month to month is affected by many inter-related factors. However, management of the lake has become a compromise between irrigation, hydro-electric power generation, the fishery sectors, and conservation/sustainability goals. As a response to this challenge, stakeholders agreed on the need to create an independent body in the form of a watershed management council to manage the lake and the watershed resources. For institutional innovation such as the watershed management council, institutional arrangements and coordination among government agencies is a big challenge. Because of the multiple uses of Lake Buhi and policy-related issues affecting the relationship of users within the Buhi- Barit watershed, a regular forum among the stakeholders could improve synergy among members.

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