Deadline: 30-Apr-21
IUCN invites institutions and individuals working on water governance and natural resource management issues in the Meghna River Basin to submit side event proposals highlighting their work during the Meghna Knowledge Forum from 22 to 24 June 2021.
IUCN Asia is facilitating the Meghna Knowledge Forum (MKF) 2021, an online scientific symposium, which aims to provide a learning exchange platform on shared water governance issues in the Meghna Basin linked to Natural Resource Management (NRM) and community inclusion.
MKF 2021 will support the identification of key knowledge gaps, and the development of potential partnerships to address these gaps. High-level government representatives will be invited to attend the event.
The learning outcomes of the forum will be consolidated in a Symposium Book with abstracts and summaries for wider dissemination. Local media organisations will also be invited to help disseminate the knowledge presented at the forum.
Objectives
- Support the identification of key knowledge gaps in the implementation of transboundary water governance in the Meghna Basin;
- Develop potential partnerships to address knowledge gaps;
- Facilitate dialogues in the development of a basin-level integrated management approaches;
- Facilitate discussions on important transboundary themes such as knowledge-based water governance, community-based research, and translation of research outcomes and its use in shared water governance policy and planning; and,
- Serve as a venue for sharing of lessons learned in transboundary water governance among organisations, local communities, women and youth sectors.
Main events during the Forum:
- Thematic Plenary Sessions: Panel discussions and presentation of technical papers on specific themes linked to water governance issues and challenges in the Meghna Basin
- Side events: Parallel sessions facilitated by key government agencies, research institutions, and civil society organisations, demonstrating technical solutions and community-based strategies to address key water governance issues in the Basin
- Knowledge Fair: Photo exhibition, poster presentations, knowledge booths and screening of films produced by young researchers and/or by women from India and Bangladesh on the Meghna issues
How To Get Involved
- Participate and share your work: Share lessons learned from your work by participating in the plenary presentations
- Photo competition: Capture and share the challenges faced by local communities in the Meghna Basin. This Exhibition especially seeks to engage local women and young water professionals.
- Sponsor a booth at knowledge fair: Showcase your work in the Meghna Basin by sponsoring a booth at the Knowledge Fair.
- Spread the word: IUCN encourages all to share the information about MKF 2021 among your colleagues and networks.
Target Audiences
- Policymakers, researchers, civil society organisations (CSOs), private sector representatives and women and youth leaders.
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be related to at least one of the three themes of the MKF 2021,
- Geophysical and Ecological Diversity of the Meghna Basin;
- Cultural and Socio-economics of the Meghna Basin; and,
- Inclusive Basin Governance in the Meghna Basin.
- Side Event designs must be super interactive with a focus on engaging the audience in the discussion leading to the identification of 3-4 key actions that can be taken forward after the event;
- Includes organisations from both Bangladesh and India and/or speakers from at least three different organisations, representing both Bangladesh and India;
- Highlight issues related to gender and indigenous people;
- Demonstrates technical solutions and community-based strategies to address key water governance issues in the Meghna Basin; and,
- Facilitates engagement with youth (aged 15-24) and young professionals (35 years of age and under).
For more information, visit https://www.iucn.org/regions/asia/about/meghna-knowledge-forum-mkf-2021/meghna-knowledge-forum-2021-virtual-event-call-side-event-proposals
