Transboundary Water Management in Southeastern Europe

Workshop on Goal 2: Addressing Critical Development Challenges 15 August 2009, GWP CP 2009 Transboundary Water Resources Management: Experiences in Southeastern Europe Joint Presentation by GWP-MED and GWP-CEE

Southeastern Europe

The region has a background of political instability and conflict.

Most of the countries are still in the process towards establishing a well

functioning market economy

Some countries are EU members. In the Non-EU, major reforms guided primarily by the EU accession prospect have been initiated

Economic growth has dictated choices for water resources management in many cases

These have also influenced cooperation for transboundary water bodies

90% of water resources are shared by 2 or more countries in the SEE

- On-going cooperation processes for the management of shared basins exists

- GEF and donor financed projects support on-the-ground activities

- Initiatives are active in the area e.g. UNECE Water Convention , Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process etc.

Some background for Southeastern Europe

Create the conditions for and enhance cooperation for the integrated

management of water resources at transboundary level

Enhance IWRM at national level = the foundations for promoting integrated transboundary cooperation

- Harmonization of rules and regulations for the management of shared basins

- Joint assessment and monitoring

- Involvement of local stakeholders

- Establishment of sustainable institutions for the joint management of the shared basins

- Benefit from the catalytic involvement of the international community for the enhancement of cooperation on the management of the shared basins, both at national and transboundary level

Key challenges for shared water resources management

- Since 2005, GWP-Med has systematically developed multi-level action on TWRM in SEE in the framework of the Petersburg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process (Germany, Greece, WB, GEF, UNECE, UNDP, UNESCO) . - Priority areas of activities include : IWRM planning; shared groundwater management; multi-purpose management; water governance and civil society engagement; linkages to / promotion of the EU WFD. - Since it launching, the Process has engaged more than 150 partners and has materialized * 8 multi-stakeholder International Roundtables on different aspects * more than 10 Capacity Building Workshops with targeted audiences , * has produced more than 15 general and targeted assessments and capacity building materials . - Among current priority issues is the promotion of cooperation for the joint management of the Drin River Basin – an important and complex system . GWP-Med activities on TWRM in SEE

Stakeholders Transboundary Cooperation for Integrated Management of Mesta/Nestos Basin: A joint GWP-Med and GWP-Bulgaria project Bulgaria and Greece are taking measures to reach coordinated management of the Mesta / Nestos river basin on the basis of the relevant prerequisites of the EU WFD, the existing bilateral agreement and the international legal framework and practices. However, stakeholders involvement has been limited. A joint GWP-Med and GWP-Bulgaria project, supported by SDC, supported stakeholders engagement in an integrated approach and responding to the provisions of the EU WFD.

GWP CEE’s active role in the Danube River Basin - shared by 14 countries