Foundation
The concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has attracted particular attention following the international conferences on water and environmental issues in Dublin and Rio de Janeiro held during 1992, and it was emphasized that IWRM is a necessary criterion for sustainable development.
The Third Annual Consultative Group Meeting of the Global Water Partnership in 1998 in Stockholm raised the issue of flood management. This sectoral gap in relation to IWRM was studied and recommendations were submitted to the Technical Advisory Committee which endorsed a flood initiative as a part of the GWP’s future activities. In 2000, WMO presented the initial project proposal which later led to the recommendation that WMO takes the lead in bringing together those concerned and acts as the network manager for the associated programme. The proposal for the establishment of the Associated Programme on Flood Management was endorsed by GWP’s Technical Advisory Committee in November 2000.
In August 2001, the Associated Programme on Flood Management was jointly founded by the World Meteorological Organization and the Global Water Partnership promoting the concept of Integrated Flood Management as a new approach to flood management.
Important documents
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About APFM
Phase 1 - major achievements
- Establishment of the principles of IFM through the Concept Paper supported by the Policy Series
- conduction of regional pilot projects
- collection of flood management case studies
- website establishment
- initiation of a global partner network to form a supporting knowledge base.
Phase 2 - major achievements
- Implementation of the IFM concept
- activities at the local and regional level in supporting countries by providing guidance
- training and awareness building at various levels, facilitating long-term support in the form of the IFM HelpDesk.
Phase 3 - major achievements
- Strengthening and coordination of the network of Support Base Partners
- trainings on the national and regional level
- long-term support and follow up of previous trainees
- development of guidance material and update of existing publications within the policy and tool series
- field demonstration projects adapting the IFM concept
- e-Learnings on flood management
- new communication strategy
Phase 4 - major achievements
Mainstreaming Intregrated Flood Management into policy and practice by:
- supporting countries, regions and communities in implementing the IFM approach
- aligning implementation needs with donors and funders
- further developing guidance material and updating existing publications within the policy and tool series.
Financial support is available from project developement and implementation. The APFM TSU is currently seeking donors or financial partners to support its core activities.
The constitutional and management bodies of the APFM consisted until 2017 of an Advisory Committee and a Management Committee, which used to meet on a yearly basis to discuss about the achievements and set the forward plan.
Based on the new governance structure of APFM, The AC/MC committee meeting has been replaced by a Forum of Support Base Partners, which meets (virtually) at least twice a year to discuss opportunities for the development of joint activities on IFM.