Growing competition for scarce water resources, exacerbated by climate change, has driven major changes in the way river basin planning is undertaken. This has resulted in a shift away from technical approaches designed to maximize water availability and led to more strategic approaches to basin planning. These approaches aim to optimize outcomes by reconciling the competing demands of different sectors of the economy, the natural environment, and society as a whole. The main purpose of this document is to present an overview and synthesis of principles, procedures and techniques used in basin planning.