The registration for this workshop is open untill 7 May 2014.
The workshop's aimes are:
-Discuss between stakeholders with different backgrounds (water practitioners, politicians, parliamentarians, journalists, researchers...) the benefits of transboundary water cooperation and how benefits assessment can support the transboundary water cooperation processes;
-Share experiences, good practices, challenges faced and lessons learned on the identification, assessment and communication of the wide range of benefits that can be generated by transboundary water cooperation;
-Support the further development of the draft Policy Guidance Note on identifying, assessing and communicating the benefits of transboundary water cooperation.
Agenda
Thursday 22 May 2014
10:00-10:20
Opening remarks
-Marco Keiner, Director of the Environment Division, UNECE
-Harry Liiv, Ministry of the Environment, Estonia
10:20-11:00
Session 1
Introduction to the objectives of the workshop and to the policy guidance note
-Chair: Harry Liiv, Ministry of the Environment, Estonia
-Work on benefits of transboundary water cooperation under the Water Convention and objectives of the workshop: Chantal Demilecamps, UNECE
-Introducing the workshop programme: Eduard Interwies, facilitator, consultant to UNECE
-Q&A
11:00-13:00
Session 2
The need for benefit assessments to support transboundary water cooperation processes
Objectives of the session
-Transboundary water cooperation has been increasing, but still commonly focuses on a limited number of issues related to water quality and quantity. The lack of recognition of possible broader benefits of cooperation often prevent the further development of transboundary water cooperation.
-The session will discuss whether and how benefits assessment can support transboundary water cooperation, facilitating the evolution of cooperation over time to more advanced stages.
-This discussion will contribute to the further elaboration of Chapters 1 and 2 of the draft policy guidance note.
Chair: Harry Liiv, Ministry of the Environment, Estonia
Panel discussion:
- Jakob Granit, Stockholm Environment Institute and Global Environment Facility Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel
- Kerry Schneider, Shared Waters Partnership, Stockholm International Water Institute
- Christian Severin, International Waters, the Global Environment Facility
- Alice Aureli, UNESCO IHP-ISARM, TWAP aquifers
Small group discussion
Reporting back and reactions
13:00-15:00
Lunch
15:00-16:00
Session 3
Identification of benefits of transboundary water cooperation
Objectives of the session
-The UNECE Water Convention recognizes that water is a cornerstone of societies and it promotes a holistic approach to transboundary water cooperation, looking at environmental, social and economic implications of water uses.
-The session will aim at agreeing on the commonly recognized benefits of cooperation, but also at identifying those which tend to be forgotten. Challenges and opportunities for the identification of benefits will also be discussed.
-This discussion will contribute to the further elaboration of Chapter 3 of the draft policy guidance note.
-Chair: Kerry Schneider, Stockholm International Water Institute
-Presentation of the typology of benefits of transboundary water cooperation: Roberto Martin-Hurtado, consultant to UNECE
Moderated open discussion
16:00-16:15
Comfort break
16:15-18:00
Session 4
Economic benefits of transboundary water cooperation within and beyond the basin
Objectives of the session
-Strengthening transboundary water cooperation can result in improved opportunities for economic development at the basin level, or decreased risks of economic losses due to water-related disasters. Economic benefits can even be broader if one considers the economic impacts of cooperation in the national economies through linkages between the basin-based economic activities and other activities in the riparian countries.
-This session will discuss which economic benefits have been assessed both within and beyond some transboundary basins, and which methodologies have been used. It will also share lessons learned and recommendations on how the assessment of economic benefits can influence the transboundary water cooperation process.
-This discussion will contribute to the further elaboration of Chapter 4 of the draft policy guidance note.
-Chair: Kerry Schneider, Stockholm International Water Institute
-Introduction about the economic benefits of transboundary water cooperation: Jonathan Fisher, consultant to UNECE
Presentations:
- Pretashkent Aquifer: Aitmurat Issayev, Committee of Geology and Subsoil Use, Kazakhstan
- Mekong River Basin: Anoulak Kittikhoun, Mekong River Commission
- Columbia River Basin: Richard Kyle Paisley, University of British Columbia
- Cubango-Okavango River Basin: Ebenizário Chonguiça, Permanent Okavango River Basin Commission
Moderated open discussion
Friday 23 May 2014
9:30-9:45
Recap of Day 1 and feedback from workshop participants
9:45-11:15
Session 5
Environmental and social benefits of transboundary water cooperation
Objectives of the session
-Environmental benefits, such as the improvement of the natural environment as a whole and of ecosystems services, as well as social benefits, such as community benefits or the improvement of people well-being, can result from a better management of transboundary waters.
-The objective of this session will be to discuss which environmental and social benefits have been assessed (or could not be assessed) in some transboundary basins, and which methodologies have been used. It will also share lessons learned and recommendations on how the assessment of environmental and social benefits can influence the transboundary water cooperation process.
-This discussion will contribute to the further elaboration of Chapter 4 of the draft policy guidance note.
-Chair: Christian Severin, International Waters, the Global Environment Facility
-Introduction about the environmental and social benefits of transboundary water cooperation: Jonathan Fisher, consultant to UNECE
Presentations:
- North American Great Lakes Basin: Jeff C. Ho, Standford University
- Murray-Darling Basin: Sarah Ann Wheeler, University of South Australia
- Lower Jordan River Basin: Gidon Bromberg, Friends of the Earth Middle East
Moderated open discussion
11:15-12:30
Session 6
Geopolitical benefits of transboundary water cooperation
Objectives of the session
-It is recognized that better transboundary water cooperation can advance peace and security in a region by contributing to conflict prevention.
-The objectives of this session will be to discuss which geopolitical benefits have been assessed (or could not be assessed) in some transboundary basins, and which methodologies have been used. It will also share lessons learnt and recommendations on how the assessment of geopolitical benefits can influence the transboundary water cooperation process.
-This discussion will contribute to the further elaboration of Chapter 4 of the draft policy guidance note.
-Chair: Christian Severin, International Waters, the Global Environment Facility
-Introduction about the geopolitical benefits of transboundary water cooperation: Roberto Martin Hurtado, consultant to UNECE
Presentations:
- Teesta River Basin: Anumita Raj, Strategic Foresight Group
- Nile River Basin: Wondwosen Michago Seide, Intergovernmental Authority on Development
Moderated open discussion
12:30-14:30
Lunch
14:30-16:00
Session 7
Communicating benefits of transboundary water cooperation
Objectives of the session
-All efforts to assess benefits of transboundary water cooperation are in vain if the benefits assessment cannot support on-going policy process related to cooperation.
-This session will aim at defining the type of information resulting from "benefit assessments" which has to be communicated to decision-makers and the best way to do so in order to have an impact on the transboundary water cooperation process. The session will also consider communication requirements for other stakeholders groups.
-This discussion will contribute to the further elaboration of Chapter 5 of the draft policy guidance note.
-Chair: Alice Aureli, UNESCO IHP —ISARM
-Introduction about the communication of the benefits of transboundary water cooperation: Chantal Demilecamps, UNECE
Presentations:
- Danube River Basin : Benedikt Mandl, International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River
- Upper Lempa River Basin : Raul Artiga, Under-Secretariat of Territorial Development and Decentralisation, El Salvador
- Mesta/Nestos River Basin : Jacques Ganoulis, UNESCO-IHP
- Prespa Park Basin : Daphne Mantziou, Society for the Protection of Prespa
Moderated open discussion
16:00-16:15
Comfort break
16:15-17:15
Session 8
Key messages for the policy guidance note
-Chair: Alice Aureli, UNESCO IHP-ISARM
-Key messages and next steps: Roberto Martin Hurtado, consultant to UNECE and Chantal Demilecamps, UNECE
-General discussion on the key messages and next steps
17:15-17:30
Closing
Nicholas Bonvoisin, UNECE
