Participatory water monitoring: a guide for preventing and managing conflict
Participatory monitoring is one established and accepted way for the public to make informed decisions. Through the collection of data that is credible to multiple parties, participatory monitoring can become an essential instrument for generating trust. Participatory water monitoring has an especially important role to play in reducing or avoiding water-related conflict in large-scale, intensive development projects. This guide is designed to be used as a tool for communities, civil society organisations, corporations, and governments at both the sub-national and national level to implement participatory water monitoring programmes.
The guide provides a framework including questions and steps that can be used to develop a detailed implementation plan. Topics covered include discussion of the need for participatory monitoring and a description of the four components of an effective participatory monitoring programmes:
- initiating the monitoring programme
- creating meaningful participation, effective governance, and transparent financing
- creating credible information
- evaluating the process and results.
Appendices provide case studies, sampling methods, procedures,tools and resources to address the social and technical details of the planning and implementation process.
