GEF IW:LEARN Framework

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) International Waters Learning Exchange and
Resource Network (GEF IW:LEARN) has as a mission to strengthen International Waters (IW) management by facilitating learning and information sharing among IW projects, partners and stakeholders.

GEF-IW:LEARN fosters structured learning, information sharing, collaboration and replication across the GEF’s International Waters (IW) portfolio, at local, regional and global scales.

GEF IW:LEARN directly contributes to the GEF’s Operational Programme of developing several global International Waters projects (Objective 10) aimed at:

• Deriving and disseminating lessons learned from projects undertaken in the pilot phase and the permanent GEF.
• Sharing the learning experience with groups of countries cooperating on International Water projects.
• Addressing the technical and institutional needs of those countries cooperating on International Waters projects.

and helps towards:

• Strengthening global capacity to learn and apply the lessons of experience from TWM approach rather than duplicate mistakes.
• Exchanging successful approaches among existing projects and those under preparation.
• Environmental sustainability.

The GEF IW:LEARN 2004-2008 Portfolio is developed through 15 Activities and 29 Sub-Activities at global, regional and subregional scales, corresponding to 5 Components which are:

A. Facilitating access to information about transboundary water resources.
B. Structured learning among GEF IW projects and cooperating partners.
C. Organizing biennial International Waters Conferences.
D. Testing innovative approaches to strengthen implementation of the IW portfolio.
E. Fostering partnerships to sustain GEF IW:LEARN benefits and associated technical support.

Key organisational elements of the GEF IW:LEARN 2004-2008 Portfolio are presented in Figure 1. As illustrated in the Figure, a learning portfolio is a network of projects that use similar strategies to achieve a common end and work together to achieve three goals:

Figure 1. Key Elements of the GEF IW Learning Portfolio

Within GEF IW:LEARN 2004-2008 Portfolio, Component D - Testing innovative approaches to strengthen implementation of the International Waters portfolio, aims to test, evaluate and replicate novel approaches and Information and Communication Tools (ICT) to meet the needs of involved stakeholders.

Component’s D main outcome is a widely available suite of tested and replicated ICT and other tools and approaches for strengthening Transboundary Water Management.

GEF IW:LEARN Activity D2

Under Component D of GEF IW:LEARN 2004-2008 Portfolio, Activity D2 aims to provide face-to-face and virtual training, knowledge sharing and capacity building cooperation between stakeholders in Southeastern Europe and Mediterranean sub-region.

The general objective of Activity D2 of GEF IW:LEARN (from now on referred to as the ‘Project’) is to test, evaluate and replicate novel approaches and ICT tools to meet International Waters (IW) stakeholder needs, with a particular emphasis in Southeastern Europe (SEE) and the Mediterranean sub-regions.

Specific goals are to contribute to the cross-fertilization between competent organizations and persons with roles within the river commissions and other joint bodies in SEE and, at the same time, to allow for the introduction of new elements and experiences from outside the region.

The goals will be pursued through the organization of a series of capacity building workshops for senior officials, decision makers and experts, and through the facilitation of an internet-based information network establishing a community of practice on transboundary water resources management with a particular focus in SEE.

Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process provide the framework for activities in SEE to be supported through this GEF IW:LEARN Project. The Project contributes directly to the scope and objectives of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative.

Outputs

Main Outputs of Activity D2 include:
• D2.1. Three 3-day SEE Transboundary Waters Workshops for decision makers and experts by 2006.
• D2.2. Internet-based Transboundary Waters Information Exchange Network for the SEE Region (TWIEN-SEE) launched by 2005, sustained through regional partners by 200 8.

Implementation Period

The project’s preparatory activities period was 6 months and the overall implementation period will be 38 months, from May 2005 until June 2008.

Geographical focus

Activity D2 (of the GEF IW:LEARN 2004-2008 Portfolio) focus on basins of transboundary rivers lying south of the Danube River Basin, which flow into the Adriatic, Aegean, Black, and Ionian Seas, on the basins of transboundary lakes in this area, the associated transboundary aquifers and the transboundary deltas and coastal lagoons associated with these waters.

The ‘countries of focus’ are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR Macedonia Romania and Serbia and Montenegro. Neighboring countries – Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Slovenia and Turkey may be included where relevant.

Partners - Organization

Core Partners engaged in the project’s planning, implementation and monitoring are: GEF IW:LEARN, German Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Greek Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med), World Bank, UNESCO-IHP / International Shared Aquifers Resource Management Programme (ISARM), International Network of Water-Environment Centres for the Balkans (INWEB), and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

GWP-Med is technically supporting the implementation of the Project’s activities and the realization of its objectives.

Synergies with active institutions, processes and initiatives in the field of transboundary water management at the international, regional and national level will be sought.