Introduction to River Basin Planning

River basin planning would include the following topics:

Water Resources Assessment
Water Resources Project Cycles
Project Formulation
Logical Framework for Integrated River Basin Development

Water resources development and management involves people, natural resources, and infrastructures. Hence, water resources are integrally link to the land resources and environmental condition in meeting the water-related needs of society. In this case, the responsibility of water resources professionals would include:

Formulation and implementation of water resource management strategies; and
Planning, design, construction, and operation and maintenance of water resources/hydraulics infrastructures

The water related (hydraulics) infrastructure of an urban area, rural, or river basin include:

River regulation structures;
Wells for pumping groundwater;
Storage (Dam and reservoir) and conveyance facilities;
Water treatment plants;
Water distribution networks;
Wastewater management system;
Flood damage reduction measures;
Erosion mitigation practices;
Storm drainage systems;
Bridges, culverts;
Hydroelectric power plants; and
Various other man made facilities.

Since water related needs and issues are broad, complex, and crucial to economic growth, social development, and environmental protection, naturally water resources development and management are interdisciplinary. Hence, in order to do the work successfully, water resources planners should be able to work with other stakeholders, like politician, economists, lawyers, urban planners, agricultural scientists, chemists, biologists, geologists, meteorologists, system analysts, and professionals from various other scientific and engineering disciplines, as well as water users and the public. On the other hand, the holistic or integrated approach should be implemented for water resources management purposes, within a geographical unit of river basin, through a river basin planning.

Contextual and environmental issues that should be taken into consideration in the current river basin planning would include:

Sustainable development;
Climate Change adaptation;
Renewal Energy; and
Green Technology.

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River Basins in Sarawak (Borneo)

Map of Sarawak River Basins Sarawak State is part of Borneo island and has been divided into 21 river basins, as follows: Kayan, 1,645 km2 Sg. Sarawak, 2,375 km2 Samarahan, 1,090 km2 Sadong, 3,550 km2 Lupar, 6,510 km2 Saribas, 2,200 km2 Krian, 1,500 km2 Lower and Upper Rajang, 47,880 km2 Oya, 2,195 km2 Mukah, 2,275 km2 Balingian, 2,510 km2 Tatau, 5,260 km2 Kemena, 6,100 km2 Similajau, 660 km2 Suai, 1,540 km2 Niah, 1,280 km2 Sibuti, 1,020 km2 Baram, 22,930 km2 Limbang, 3,950 km2 Trusan, 2,615 km2 Lawas, 1,050 km2. for more information please visit https://did.sarawak.gov.my/web/subpage/webpage_view/315

River Basins in Sabah

Figure 1 Rivers and Points Annual Rainfall at Sabah (After Sabah Water Resources Master Plan, 1995) The best source of information about river basins in Sabah is from the "Sabah Water Resources Master Plan", which can be seen at http://www.did.sabah.gov.my/ . The river basins are can be grouped as those that discharging the flow to the west coast, north coast, and to the east coast. Some rivers that go to west coast are: Sg. Mayog/Babogon Sg. Papar Sg. Padas Some rivers that go to the north coast are: Sg. Bandau Sg. Bangan/Kinorom Sg. Bengkoko/Pitas Some rivers that go to the east coast are: Sg. Liwagu Sg. Kinabatangan Sg. Tawau Sg. Merotai Besar The Figure 1 shows the points annual rainfalls and rivers in Sabah.

4. Logical Framework for Integrated River Basin Management

4.1 Introduction The logical framework approach (LFA) was first adopted by U.S. AID in the early 1970s. The framework provides a set of designing tools that, when used creatively, can be used for planning, designing, implementing and evaluating projects (the entire project cycle). The purpose of LFA is to undertake participatory, objectives-oriented planning that spans the life of project or policy work to build stakeholder's team commitment and capacity, through a series of workshops. The technique requires stakeholders to come together in a series of workshops to set priorities and plan for implementation and monitoring. This achieved by structuring the main elements of project in a matrix (the logical framework) which summarizes the project, highlighting logical linkages between intended inputs, planned activities and expected results and records the underlying assumption. See Figure 4.1, for the content of framework matrix and how to read the LFA. 4.2 Steps in Logic

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