Increasingly there is need for efforts integrating natural resource management inclusive of water, land, and biodiversity with actions and developments of humans, particularly in heavily used, sensitive environments such as arid river basins. Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) provides the basis for this integration. One such approach used in Namibia is known as the Forum for Integrated Resource Management (FIRM), which aims to enable communities to take a central role in management and development processes in their areas. Keywords: basin management, participation, Kuiseb, integration, river basin forum.