- The International Roundtable on “Integrated Shared Lake Basin Management in Southeastern Europe”
The International Roundtable on “Integrated Shared Lake Basin Management in Southeastern Europe” took place in Ohrid, FYR Macedonia, 12– 14 October 2006. It was jointly organised by Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med) and the Lake Ohrid Watershed Committee (LOWC), and supported by GEF IW:LEARN.
The Roundtable is part of the activities within the Petersberg Process Phase II / Athens Declaration Process and GEF IW:LEARN Activity D2
The Roundtable addressed issues of integrated management of lake basins and the linkages to river basin and coastal management; this has built on related ongoing work in the region and linked to the GEF supported Lake Basin Management Initiative. Case studies on a series of Lakes (i.e. Ohrid , Prespa and Skhoder) and the Drin River basins were presented and discussed. These create an interconnected complex hydrological system in the South Western Balkan Peninsula. It has been the first time that Lake basin stakeholders from the three lakes within the Drin River basin met to discuss common challenges and aspirations.
The overall aim of the Roundtable was the promotion of cooperation for the management of the transboundary water bodies of the South Western Balkan Peninsula region. Among the objectives were the exchange of information and the communication of good practices and success stories in different aspects of management of shared Lake Basins, such as stakeholder involvement, exchange of scientific information, institutionalization of cooperation, financing etc. and the establishment of a peer network between persons working in the three shared Lake basins of focus.
A study visit was organised on the occasion of the International Roundtable, on 14 October 2006. It aimed to provide the opportunity for participants to share experiences at the field level. Sites in both the Albanian and FYR Macedonian parts of the Lake Ohrid Basin were visited. The main objective of such events is to allow for the exchange of practical knowledge on a variety of aspects of joint management including the development and implementation of field based activities.
The activities contribute to the works of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI) as well as to the new GEF Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Sea Large Marine Ecosystems.
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Participants were representatives of competent authorities and organizations that work in the shared water bodies of focus from Albania, FYR Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo and Montenegro; of Donor Countries (Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland) and International and Regional Institutions and Organizations (European Agency for Reconstruction, GEF, GWP, GWP-Med, International Sava River Basin Commission, MedWet, Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation, REC, UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank, WWF).
OVERALL PLAN
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12 October |
13 October |
14 October |
Morning Session
Lunch |
International Roundtable on Shared Lakes in SEE |
International Roundtable on Shared Lakes in SEE |
Study visit in Lake Ohrid |
Afternoon Session
Dinner |
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Thursday, 12 October 2006 International Roundtable on
Integrated Shared Lake Basin Management in
Southeastern Europe
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08.30 – 08.50 Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Lake Ohrid Watershed Committee (Dejan Panovski),
GEF (Janot Mendler de Suarez) ,
World Bank (Ron Hoffer)
German Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (Franca Schwartz)
08.50 – 09.00 Purpose of the Meeting and Organization of Work
(Michael Scoullos, GWP-Med)
Session I: The Framework for Integrated Management of Shared Lake Basins in SEE
09.00–09.30 Keynote: The Framework for Integrated Management of Shared Lake Basins in South Eastern Europe
(Torkil Jønch- Clausen, DHI/GWP)
09.30 – 09.45 Overview of the Lake Basin Management Initiative
(Ron Hoffer, World Bank)
09.45 – 10.00 The Dinaric Arc Initiative
(Giorgio Andrian, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe)
10.00 – 10.15 Transboundary Water Management in South-Eastern Europe: The Complementary Roles of the EU Water Framework
Directive and the UNECE Water Convention
(Daniela Sorentino, Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea)
10.15 – 10.30 Discussion
10.30 – 10.45 Coffee break
Session II: Integrated Management of Shared Lake Basins in SEE
The presentations (max 20 min each) will address status, challenges, current management activities, future steps. Each presentation will be followed by Questions & Answers.
10.45 – 12.15 Drin River Basin
(Jasminka Taseva, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, FYR Macedonia)
12.15 – 13.45 Prespa Lakes Basin
(Vivi Roumeliotou, Secretariat of the PrespaPark Coordination Committee)
13.45 – 14.45 Lunch
Session II: Integrated Management of Shared Lake Basins in SEE (Continued)
14.45 – 16.15 Shkoder Lake Basin – The Strategic Action Plan, a Framework for Action
(Viktor Subotic, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning, Montenegro)
16.15 – 16.30 Discussion
16.30 – 16.45 Coffee break
Session III: Workshop on Comparative Experience in River and Lake Basin Management
16.45 – 17.15 Lessons learned / Practical experiences from transboundary cooperation for the management of Lake Peipsi
(Gulnara Roll, PeipsiCenter for Transboundary Cooperation)
17.15 – 17.45 Lessons learned / Practical experiences from transboundary cooperation for the management of Lake Constance
(Patrick Troetschler, Lake Constance Foundation/Bodensee Stiftung, Germany)
17.45 – 18.00 Lessons learned from transboundary cooperation in the Shkoder and Ohrid Lake Basins
(Srna Sudar Vilotic - Regional Environmental Center)
18.00 – 18.30 Discussion
20.00 Reception Dinner at Inex Gorica Hotel
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13th October–Friday
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09.00 – 09.10 Sum-up of Day 1– Organisation of Work
(Michael Scoullos, GWP-Med)
09.10 – 09.40 Ohrid Lake Basin
(Darinka Jantinska, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, FYR Macedonia)
Session IV: Addressing Challenges at the Local Level
09.40 – 16.30 Thematic sessions
09.40 – 11.10 Thematic session 1: Institutionalizing Cooperation and Stakeholder Involvement
(Agreements, Harmonization of regulations and CAC instruments, Formation of Joint Commissions and administrative structures /
Participatory Processes, Engagement of the civil society, Access to Information, Awareness raising, Environmental education, etc.)
Facilitator/Raporteur: Torkil Jønch-Clausen, DHI/GWP – Gulnara Roll, PeipsiCenter for Transboundary Cooperation
11.10 – 11.30 Coffee Break
11.30 – 13.30 Thematic session 2: Sustainable Financing
(Enhancing Investment, Funding of administrative structures, Innovative financing instruments etc.)
Facilitator/Raporteur: Christian Lütke Wöstmann – KfW, Rita Cestti–World Bank
13.30 – 14.30 Lunch
Session IV: Addressing Challenges at the Local Level (Continued)
14.30 – 16.30 Thematic session 3: Multipurpose use of shared lake basins water resources
(Hydroelectric Power Generation, Irrigation, Tourism, Sustaining ecosystems etc.)
Facilitator/Raporteur: Spyros Kouvelis, MedWet / Ramsar Convention–Franca Schwartz, German Ministry for Environment, Nature
Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Presentation: Multipurpose Use of Transboundary Water Resources: the case of the Sava River Basin
(Dejan Komatina, InternationalSavaRiver Basin Commission)
16.30 – 17.00 Coffee Break
Session V: Conclusive Remarks and Next Steps
17.00 – 17.15 Participants Evaluation of the Roundtable
(Janot Mendler de Suarez, GEF IW:LEARN)
17.15 – 18.00 Presentation of the summary report of the Thematic Session 1
(Gulnara Roll, PeipsiCenter for Transboundary Cooperation)
Presentation of the summary report of the Thematic Session 2
(Rita Cestti, World Bank)
Presentation of the summary report of the Thematic Session 3
(Franca Schwartz, German Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety)
Presentation of the conclusions of the Roundtable
(Ron Hoffer, World Bank –Michael Scoullos, GWP-Med)
18.00 Closing statements
End of the International Roundtable
20.00 Dinner
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14th October -Saturday
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Study Visit in Lake Ohrid
Sustainable Management of Shared Lakes
Study visits are included in the Work Programme 2006-2007 of the Petersberg Process Phase II / Athens Declaration Process in order to provide the opportunity for participants to share experiences at the field level. The main objective of such events is to allow for the exchange of practical knowledge on a variety of aspects of joint management including the development and implementation of field based activities. On the occasion of the International Roundtable on Integrated Shared Lake Basin Management a study visit was organised in the drainage basin of Ohrid Lake.
Lessons learned in Lake Ohrid would considerably assist in expanding the comparative knowledge of decision makers, stakeholders and experts participating in the Roundtable from other shared water bodies, including Prespa and Shkoder.
Agenda
Start at: 09.30–End at: 17.00
09.30 Departure from the Hotel–Visit the Hydro-biological Institute in Ohrid.
10.45 Departure – Cross the Galicica National Park
12.00 Boat trip at St.Naum's springs. Presentation by the Director of the Galicica National Park
12.30 Enter Albania
12.30 Visit the Albanian side of the watershed. Arrival at Pogradec. Meeting with representatives of the Municipality of Pogradec
Lunch in Pogradec, Albania
17.00 Back to Ohrid
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