Summary

  A Basin Organisation (BO) is generally regarded as one of the best solutions to adopt for developing an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) at a catchment level.

  There have then been many types of BO, some of them existing for several decades, and a lot in a development process. They present a great diversity of legal statutes and economic schemes.
None of these can be regarded as a model, but by faciliting direct exchanges on best practices and as well on failed experiments, twinning can help BO to improve their effectiveness : BO can profit from peers, regarding administrative, technical and institutional matters, or a quicker diffusion of the research outputs in the real life.

The main objective of TwinBasin is to support effective use of research and development in the field of IWRM by promoting twinning of BO. This will be achieved by creating a world-wide forum dedicated to identifying and sharing knowledge and best practices, as well as staff exchanges for in-depth know-how transfer.

  A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) takes the form of a co-operation framework signed by a wide range of organisations, both public and private, which have an interest in the deployment of IWRM practices through twinning of organisations. It is a voluntary agreement, entered into by organisations, prepared to be active participants in developing consensus on issues of common interest, and who are willing to commit both human and financial resources for this purpose, by participating in the operation of Specific Interest Groups (SIGs).

  This MoU implies public commitments from signatories, from which : to co-operate in the production of recommendations and guidelines for developing twinning and related services of twinning activities (exchange of information, exchange of personnel) and of common knowledge representation systems and dissemination practices.
The project will support staff mobility between twinned BO for enhancing peer-to-peer exchanges and hands-on periods (0,5 to 2 months).

  The initial partnership gathers 18 participants, but it is forescasted to expand it up to 150 MoU signatories involved in the exchanges, after 48 months.

  The TwinBasin MoU is open for signature by all public and private organisations that share its aims and objectives and are willing to contribute to the work in Europe and Third Countries. It's also open for signature by individuals who are willing to contribute to this work.

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