159 Case study – Integrated water resource management in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Project approach The project targeted disaster and climate risk reduction objectives by implementing IWRM– a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, landand related resources, maximising economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. One component of this was the promotion of ecosystem-based measures, including reforestation, agroforestry, and gully erosion control through vetiver bioengineering. Strong community uptake of these interventions resulted insoil stabilisation, flood and soil erosion risk reduction, as well as boosting agricultural yieldsand household incomes. A key aspect of project success was the sustained participation of local river users, through a formally sanctioned community-based river user association. Women, as community leaders, farmers and income earners demonstrated high interest and showed strong engagement throughout the project. A number of the interventions, such as agroforestry, have beenreplicated independently in the Basin. Project outcomes The highlights of the interventions were as follows: Four tree nurseries were established producing 42,000 seedlings (forestry and fruit trees) per year. Community agroforestry system was established on over 15 ha, supporting 20 households with 40% of framers involved being women. The system was designed to be expanded through a benefit sharing and revolving fund system. Vetiver bioengineering was pioneered in the Lukaya River Basin to reduce gully and river bank erosion. Four vetiver nurseries were established, producing 32,000 vetiver plants per year. A green buffer zone was established to reduce river bank erosion and sedimentation. Reforestation on slopes (7 ha), as well as green walls around houses. Improved water quality, substantially improving the operation of the water treatment plant. 71 trainings and workshops on mainstreaming Eco-DRR through IWRM were delivered, each of which targeted between 10 and 240 local, national and regional actors. Local risk monitoring systems were established. Eco-DRR has been mainstreamed in the IWRM Action Plan for the Lukaya River basin. Lessons learnt Engage communities in a participatory approach: Working through, and developing the capacity of, a local institution, ensured successful engagement with key stakeholders. Communicate the co-benefits: Emphasising the multiple benefits, beyond disaster risk-reduction, was key to obtaining local buy-in. Consider landscape-scale interactions: By openly recognising the conflicting priorities for shared resources between upstream and downstream communities, the project strengthened collaboration to work towards a shared development vision. Sustainability and legacy of project The project developed local capacities to undertake and manage agroforestry, reforestation, vetiver bioengineering systems allowing interventions to continue to deliver long-term benefitsto households. Secondly, the IWRM Action Plan provides a roadmap for the in-country partnersto initiate new partnerships and mobilise additional resources. Finally, through mainstreaming, there is now greater national awareness and commitment from the National Government to promote the interventions. The project demonstrated that ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction can be achievedthrough an IWRM framework which has been tailored to local needs. A 2016 national water law now mandates that water resources are managed at the river basin scale, helping topromote replication of similar initiatives in the country’s watersheds. However, as the project was only three years and UNEP have since closed their country office, there is a gap of knowledge in terms of post-project impacts. Further information:https://pedrr.org/casestudy/river-partners-democratic-republic-of-the-congo/ Diagram of the NbS interactions showing that agroforestry, reforestation and vetiver bioengineering can contribute towards multiple benefits. Climate changeadaptation Nitrogen fixation andcarbon sequestration Soil stabilisation Biodiversity enhancement Increased incomes& livelihood benefits Climate change mitigation Increased productivity Agroforestry Reforestation Flood risk reduction More habitat for wildlife Vetiverbioengineering Return to Principles