Forum for Integrated Resource Management (FIRM) in Ephemeral Basins: Putting communities at the centre of the basin management process

Increasingly there is need for efforts integrating natural resource management inclusive of water, land, and biodiversity with actions and developments of humans, particularly in heavily used, sensitive environments such as arid river basins. Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) provides the basis for this integration. One such approach used in Namibia is known as the Forum for Integrated Resource Management (FIRM), which aims to enable communities to take a central role in management and development processes in their areas. This approach has recently been tested in the Kuiseb Ephemeral River Basin with the active participation of basin stakeholders. The use of FIRM in basin management requires certain adaptations, especially in the context of ephemeral river basins. The main focus of discussion is how FIRM may be applied to basin management in ephemeral basins, highlighting a case study of the basin management process in the Kuiseb Basin in Namibia. An analysis of similarities and differences between FIRM and its application in basin management is also undertaken, illustrating how the concept is applied to basin management in ephemeral basins, particular lessons learnt and strengths of this approach. The paper concludes with recommendations on how FIRM may be established in basin management with the Kuiseb River basin providing empirical evidence of the positive potential of such an approach.