Awareness and Communication Strategy environment for the establishment and operations of RBOs and other basin institutions and empowering them to transfer good practice to other users. 6.2.2 Ensuring Signing, Ratification of and Compliance with Regional and International Treaties or Agreements and Good Practice Communicate that shared watercourse, regional and international agreements are critical to regional integration and in guiding the water resources development and management activities in Member States. To who: Departments of Water Affairs in watercourse states and national water related stakeholders How: Workshops, Publications such as status reports, letters and newsletters, multi-stakeholder dialogue, and demonstration or learning journeys The message should aim at entrenching a sense of responsibility among stakeholders to realise the objective of equity among Member States and create a desire not to cause significant harm to one’s neighbour. To achieve this, there is need to recognise the importance of shared watercourse, regional and international agreements. Member States should therefore understand these agreements and where necessary sign ratify and adhere to its provisions. Confidence building and transparent communication through periodic status reports on compliance should contribute to peaceful utilisation of shared water resources. This requires compilation and dissemination of data and information to stakeholders, and to all responsible sectors and other riparian states. Where such reports contain warnings, communication should ensure that local warnings are sent to those communities and institutions to be affected and those institutions that have caused significant harm. 6.2.3 Exchange of Information and Dissemination Communicate that information sharing is critical for effective and transparent transboundary water resources development and management. To who: Departments responsible for water affairs in each riparian state, River Basin Organizations (RBOs), especially watercourse commissions, and river basin stakeholders. How: Fairs, workshops, publications such as newsletters, and websites/e-mail. One of the major challenges of managing transboundary water resources and shared watercourses is the effective and timely exchange of information. This could be information on floods, droughts, operation of water infrastructure, planned measures, risk or disaster management, and many more. The Revised Protocol on Shared Watercourses further outlines the type of data and information required to be shared among the riparian States. This data and information need to be communicated not only to Member States but also to the general public and stakeholders for them to make timely decisions. It is therefore important that the communication networks are kept up-to-date and commitment to effectively exchange information are maintained at all levels. Page 29