MUNITY SOUTHERN M CO AF T VE N DE LOPM EN CA RI RE REGIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN IV (2016 - 2020) T U W TO AR D SA C O M MO N FU P6.2.3 ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE ON TRANSBOUNDARY WATER AND NATIONAL GROUNDWATER Transboundary and national groundwater knowledge needs to be advanced through various initiatives and studies. Activities include: a) assisting Member States to identify finance for transboundary aquifer management in Member States in collaboration with RBOs/OSIC through Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis(TDAs) and Strategic Action Plans (SAP); b) undertaking demonstration projects on emergent and priority ground water management challenges such as climate change, pollution, etc.; and c) building a knowledge-sharing platform for an integrated data management system interlinked to a GIS platform and website, through information and communication technologies. P6.2.5 MANAGEMENT AND USE OF GROUNDWATER IN OCEANIC STATES There is need to develop strategies for the safe and sustainable use of groundwater to promote water security of Oceanic States. Oceanic states are heavily reliant on groundwater sources. Activities include: a) conducting assessments on groundwater availability and current and future use in Oceanic States; b) identifying the vulnerability of groundwater to sea water intrusions, over abstraction, pollution, climate change, and reduction in recharge zones; and c) facilitating the formulation of master plans for sustainable use, management and development of groundwater, including innovative approaches such as artificial recharge and conjunctive use. P6.3 ENVIRONMENTAL WATER MANAGEMENT P6.3.1 RIVER AND OTHER BODIES’ WATER QUALITY P6.2.4 PROMOTING GROUNDWATER INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT The role of infrastructure as a means to develop opportunities for more sustainable management of groundwater needs to be promoted to address groundwater related challenges. Activities include: The capacity of the national agencies and basin organisations to manage the water quality of rivers to ensure their ecological integrity needs to be improved. Activities include: a) developing regional river water quality guidelines; a) facilitating the development of infrastructure for improved groundwater utilization, management and protection. This will be achieved through assessment, mapping, operation and maintenance of infrastructure at Member States level; b) continuing the development and circulation of River Awareness Kits (RAK) for river basins; and b) evaluating impact and learning from groundwater infrastructure investments to help report on results; P6.3.2 ECOLOGICAL WATER REQUIREMENT c) providing operational support for groundwater infrastructure development, including disseminating manuals on infrastructure solutions; and d) providing support to partnership developments and securing funding from among governments, private sector parties and bi/multilateral partners and others, for scalingup successful solutions for infrastructure development. 25 c) promoting the use of citizens’ science to monitor river water quality status in selected river basins/reaches. Member States need to be trained on the methodologies for the assessment of environmental flows/ecological water requirements, including river health classification. The key activity entails developing a capacity building programme for Member States on the methodologies for determination of environmental flows /ecological water requirements and river health classification. A Vehicle to implement the Water Component of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP)