The document outlines a project aimed at the equitable and sustainable management of the Dinaric Karst aquifer system, involving several Balkan countries. It emphasizes the need for cooperation, policy harmonization, and stakeholder involvement to address transboundary water issues and protect unique ecosystems. Key activities include conducting a transboundary diagnostic analysis and developing a strategic action program to guide necessary reforms and investments.

1. Protection and Sustainable Use
of the Dinaric Karst Aquifer System
Holger Treidel, UNESCO‐IHP
Neno Kukuric, IGRAC

2. – a GEF-UNDP-UNESCO project
• facilitate the equitable
and sustainable
utilization of the
transboundary water
resources of the Dinaric
Karst Aquifer System,
and
• protect the unique
p q
groundwater dependent
ecosystems that
characterize th Di i
h t i the Dinaric
Karst region of the
Balkan peninsula.
peninsula

3. – a GEF-UNDP-UNESCO project
• Albania, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Croatia
g ,
and Montenegro
• Slovenia, Greece and
Italy
• Regional and
international partners
i t ti l t
• 2010-2014
• PCU h t d b water
hosted by t
agency in Trebinje, BiH

4. – the tools
- •Improving the understanding of the
SCIENCE
resource and of its environmental status.
& d f it i t l t t
- • COOPERATION
Establishing cooperation mechanisms
among countries.
- Facilitating the harmonization of policies
g p
and priority reforms.
- Communication dissemination and
Communication,
replication of activities.

5. Transboundary Diagnostic
Analysis
A l i (TDA)
Identification of:
• priority issues of transboundary concern
• environmental and socio economic
socio-economic
impacts
• underlying/root causes
• analysis of governance
TDA is a
• scientific and technical fact-finding
analysis
l i
• objective assessment and not a
negotiated document
• agreed upon by the countries

6. Information exchange
g
Interministerial Committees
at national level:
• Relevant governmental
institutions
Consultation and
Information Exchangeg
Body
• Establishing cooperation
mechanism among countries
sharing the aquifer

7. Strategic Action Programme
(SAP)
•bbased on th TDA
d the
• negotiated policy document
• establishes clear priorities for action to resolve
the priority transboundary waters problems
• identifies policy, legal and institutional reforms
and investments needed to address the priority
transboundary waters problems
t b d t bl
• The preparation of a SAP is a cooperative
process among k stakeholders i the
key k h ld in h
countries of the region.

8. Stakeholder involvement
• Perceived issues of transboundary concern
International Consultation and Exchange Body
(ii) establishing
Transboundary cooperation Interministerial
Diagnostic Analysis mechanisms among Committees
countries sharing g
the aquifer
(i) improving the (iii) facilitating
understanding of the harmonization of
resource and of its policies and
environmental status priority reforms
Stakeholder Participation, Consultation and Communication

9. Progress to date
• Project C di ti Unit d
P j t Coordination U it and GIS U it
Unit
• National Execution Units and focal points
• National and regional experts
• Steering Committee
• Scientific Advisory Board
• Data collection for
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis
• Stakeholder Analysis

10. Global Objective
•ffocus attention of the international community
tt ti f th i t ti l it
on the huge but vulnerable water resources
contained in karst aquifers
• Replication of experiences in other Karst areas

11. http://dinaric.iwlearn.org/dinaric