event 25 jun. 2018 time 00:00 26 jun. 2018 time 00:00

Launch Workshop // Follow-up Project to the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus Assessment in the Drina River Basin

The objective of this launch workshop to get inputs and views from authorities and key stakeholders, in order to confirm the scope and detail the components of the follow up project, for which the Italian Ministry has granted funding to support Drina countries in further strengthening transboundary cooperation in areas highlighted in the nexus assessment.

Omar tursic 693635 unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/34BIW4qs7Ck (C) Omar Tursić / Unsplash

Background

The report “Reconciling Different Resource Uses in Transboundary Basins: Assessment of the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus and benefits of transboundary cooperation in the Drina River Basin” is a main outcome of the project “Greening economic development in Western Balkans through applying a nexus approach and identification of benefits of transboundary cooperation”. The project was funded by the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea. It was implemented by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in the framework of the programme of work of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), in cooperation with the International Sava River Basin Commission.

The project has fostered cooperation across sectors and borders in the Drina River basin by identifying intersectoral synergies and determining measures that could alleviate tensions related to the multiple needs of basin countries for common resources. The nexus assessment identified a broad range of opportunities and concrete benefits of transboundary cooperation across sectors, but also of improved intersectoral coordination nationally.

Where and when

UN House
Zmaja od Bosne b.b.
'Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina

25-26 June 2018

Programme

25 June 2018

10.00
Welcome

  • Mr. Boško Kenić, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations

Opening

  • Ms. Sezin Sinanoglu, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Mr. Salvatore D’Angelo, Ministry of the Environment, Land and the Sea, Italy
  • Ms. Annukka Lipponen, UNECE

10.15-11.30
Session I: Responding to the identified nexus challenges with a new project

Basis for the project: The Assessment of the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems in the Drina River Basin –findings and recommendations

  • Ms. Annukka Lipponen, Water Convention secretariat, UNECE

Questions and answers

The proposed new project, “Drina nexus II”: Overview

  • Mr. Salvatore D’Angelo, Ministry of the Environment, Land and the Sea, Italy

Presentations and subsequent discussion about the project components

Components 1-3: Monitoring, water quality and flow regulation

  • Ms. Annukka Lipponen, Water Convention secretariat, UNECE

Components:

  • Monitoring of water resources and information exchange (Comp. 1) – Invited commentary by Mr. Boško Kenić, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Addressing the main pressures on water quality (Comp. 2) - Invited commentary by Ms. Marija Lazarević, Water Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Serbia
  • Identifying options for formalizing a more optimal flow regime, including environmental flows (Comp. 3) - Invited commentary by Montenegro, Mr. Dragan Radojević

Component 4: Supporting investment into sustainable renewable energy with multi-stakeholder dialogues

  • Mr. Gianluca Sambucini, Sustainable Energy Division, UNECE

Status of Renewable energy in Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Ms. Sanja Kapetina, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Questions and answers
Discussion

11.30-11.45 Coffee break

11.45-13.00
Session II: Detailed review and discussion about the project’s proposed scope

This session involves a group work in two parallel discussions on the project components to confirm the scope and get feedback related to implementation, link to State level initiatives etc.

Round one of group work:

  • Group 1a: Addressing the main pressures on water quality (Comp. 2) – moderator: Ms. Marija Lazarević, Water Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Serbia
  • Group 2a: Supporting investment into sustainable renewable energy with multi-stakeholder dialogues (“Hard Talks” on renewable energy investment) (Comp. 4) – moderator: Mr. Vassilis Triantafyllos, Revelle Group

Reconvening in plenary and reporting back from the groups: The rapporteurs designated by each group (or the moderators) will briefly summarize the results of the discussion.
Discussion

13.00-14.00 Lunch break

14.00-15.15
Session II: Detailed review and discussion about the project’s proposed scope (continuation)

Round two of group work:

  • Group 1b: Monitoring of water resources and information exchange (Comp. 1) - moderators: Ms. Marija Lazarević, Serbia and Mr. Dragan Radojević, Montenegro
  • Group 2b: Identifying options for formalizing a more optimal flow regime, including environmental flows (Comp. 3) – Ms. Annukka Lipponen, UNECE

Reconvening in plenary and reporting back from the groups: The rapporteurs designated by each group (or the moderators) will briefly summarize the results of the discussion.
Discussion

15.15-15.30 Coffee break

15.30-16.30
Session III: Nexus and the Agenda 2030: Value of a nexus approach to Sustainable Development

The High-Level Political Forum in July 2018 will review the progress in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6 on water and sanitation and SDG 7 on sustainable energy, among others. As the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development depends on intersectoral cooperation and coordination, the Drina Nexus Assessment contributes to the SDGs’ implementation by allowing for better informed decisions on the trade-offs deriving from meeting different sectoral objectives.

  • Implementing the indivisible SDGs: the need for an integrated approach – Mr. Emir Adzovic, Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Implementation of SDG 6 in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Mr. Boško Kenić, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Progress towards SDG 7– Interventions from energy sector representatives (TBC)

Discussion

18.30 Dinner

26 June 2018

9.00-9.30
Promoting multi-stakeholder action at the basin level: Basin contracts (A case from Italy)

  • Mr. Francesco Puma, former Secretary General of Po District Authority

Questions and answers

9.30-10.30
Session IV: Stakeholder views on the implementability of the solutions proposed in the Drina Nexus Assessment

The nexus assessment of the Drina River Basin included a number of recommendations for solutions. These cover a broad range: i) Institutions (including governance solutions related to also legal and regulatory basis, for example), ii) Information, iii) Instruments (both economic and policy instruments), iv) Infrastructure (and investments) and v) International coordination and cooperation.

  • Introduction in plenary – Ms. Annukka Lipponen, UNECE

The objective of the session is to understand the current outlook to implementation of solutions, to share information about initiatives of the Drina countries that respond to the Nexus Assessment’s recommendations in some way and to identify some practical responses to the nexus challenges. Country feedback is being gathered about solutions to the nexus and their implementation for later publication. The background to this is that a Synthesis Document on assessing and addressing the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus in transboundary basins under the Water Convention has been prepared. In addition to the Drina Basin, five other basins have been worked on.

Recalling the proposed solutions and discussion

  1. Co-optimizing flow regulation
  2. Promoting sustainable rural development
  3. Improving water quality
  4. Broadening and developing cooperation

Questions to be discussed:

  • After the Nexus Assessment, has there been any dissemination, any discussion or action regarding the proposed solutions and recommendations?
  • Are the solutions implementable?
  • What would be helpful to foster policy or management response? Can the on-going or planned initiatives at different levels be helpful?

10.30-10.45 Coffee break

10.45-12.00
Session V: Synergies: Some key projects

The new project addresses some of the identified nexus challenges but a number of other projects are directly relevant for supporting responses. In this session, updates are given on some projects with which synergy or complementarity is identified.

  • GEF-SCCF - West Balkans Drina River Basin Management Project (invited)
  • Sava River Basin Management Plans and selected projects of the Sava Commission - Mr. Samo Grošelj, International Sava River Basin Commission
  • South East Europe Urban Resilience Building Action Network – Mr. Krunoslav Katic, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub
  • ADA funded Western Balkan Sub-Regional Nexus Project “Promoting the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in South-eastern Europe” – for the Global Water Partnership Mediterranean, Ms. Annukka Lipponen, UNECE

Discussion

12.00-13.00
Session VI: Work programme for “Drina nexus II” and the next steps

Taking into account the suggestions received and results of the discussions regarding the scope and focus of the project’s components, a general programme of work, working arrangements and the main milestones will be presented

  • Ms. Annukka Lipponen, UNECE

13.00 Lunch

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