16 January 2006
by Michael Scoullos

Electronic dialogue to follow up the Berlin International Roundtable/ GEF IW:LEARN Capacity Building Workshop 1

Introduction

The Berlin Roundtable (5-7 December 2005) was held within the series of workshops organised in the framework of GEF IW:LEARN Activity D2 with the support of the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety. It has been a milestone in the Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process (from now on referred to as the Process), serving as a forum for the exchange of information and the considerable experience on transboundary water resources management (TWRM) that exists in Southeastern Europe (SEE). Representatives of competent Ministries, national and international organisations and stakeholders, were among the participants.

The Roundtable reviewed progress achieved on cooperation in the field of TWRM in SEE and underlined its importance for succeeding stability and prosperity in the SEE. It reaffirmed the common interest for the continuing and enhancing of cooperation on related issues and underlined the importance of initiatives that promote such activities.

Following up the Berlin Roundtable, GWP-Med is facilitating an e-dialogue with the support of GEF IW:LEARN within its Activity D2 (see www.watersee.net).

The e-dialogue aims at:

- engaging the participants in a dialogue to elaborate and further focus on some of the outcomes of the Berlin Roundtable

- extracting information to be used for the refining and adjustment of the future activities and to generate ideas for further steps to be taken within the Process

- contributing in the establishment of an information-exchange network and an internet-based community of practice to facilitate further identification and discussion on new ideas and challenges in TWRM in SEE to provide opportunities for infusing knowledge into competent organizations and individuals. More e-dialogues to be organized in the future on the occasion of activities within the Process or on the initiative of the participants will further help towards this goal.

Context

Integrated Water Resources Management is the crosscutting theme for the cooperative program within the Process, which would, among others, provide support for the application of EU Water Legislation including EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) in member and non member states of the Region.

Integration is a central concept of the WFD. Its provisions have been voluntarily introduced to the legal framework of the countries of the region, as part of the overall reform process, even if it is not legally binding for the majority of them. For this, it could have a significant and broad effect on the development of integrated water resource management in the region. In addition WFD can be seen as an instrument that if followed and properly implemented will foster cooperation on shared water basins inside SEE and on the borders with the European Union.

1. Civil society involvement

1a. WFD provides for stakeholders and the civil society engagement in the decision making procedures by promoting transparency and access to information for the public as well as the further involvement of the stakeholders in the development of river basin management plans. The Berlin Roundtable acknowledged that civil society engagement and public participation in the decision making and management on shared water resources are of paramount importance.

According to your experience what is the current status of civil society involvement in SEE countries? Can you provide specific examples of good practices?

1b. In the cooperation process for the development of joint management mechanisms there are many stages for the public to be informed and, furthermore, be engaged in the decision making process (e.g. at the very beginning of the process, after establishing a minimum level of cooperation, right before or after developing a joint management plan etc).

What in your experience is the most appropriate stage in the process for the civil society to be engaged to succeed the best possible outcome?

2. Implement activities at sub-national level

WFD also provides for integration of different decision making levels that influence overall water resources management and consequently water status. The Roundtable acknowledged the importance of activities implemented at the sub-national level, in order to get closer to local geographic and socio-economic problems. Decentralisation is an on- going process in the SEE and the engagement of sub-national and local governments and stakeholders more broadly in the management of transboundary waters is important.

It is recognized that in many cases local or river basin authorities don???t have adequate capacity to undertake the necessary actions for successful application of IWRM at shared water bodies, manage investments and implement interventions.

What are the major needed capacities and how do you propose to build in the missing elements? Based on the current experience what seems to be the most appropriate level to manage investments?

3. Interventions to succeed outputs with high visibility

Integration of all water uses, functions and values into a common policy framework is also an important concept of WFD. The Roundtable underlined that multi-purpose water resources management, in a transboundary setting, creates synergies among different uses, such as hydropower, navigation, flood management, emergency management, aquatic ecosystems and the broader environment. Important opportunities exist to improve use of existing infrastructure investments and to optimize operations by moving from single- to multi-purpose management regimes. This approach requires recognition of traditional and non-traditional economic and financial returns from investments and management measures.

In view of the above, areas where pilot projects can be realised and become model to be replicated in the region should cover a set of characteristics such as enabling institutional environment and administrative framework at both sides of the border, history in forms of cross-border cooperation, certain experience in managing such projects etc.

Can you suggest areas of SEE region that are 'mature' enough for interventions to be implemented and succeed outputs with high visibility? What are the priority interventions to be supported in these areas?