Presentation // How can water-energy-food-ecosystems nexus investments be an opportunity to finance transboundary water projects?

The 'Virtual Workshop on Financing Transboundary Water Cooperation and Basin Development' took place via an online platform on 16 and 17 December 2020. It was organized by the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), serviced by UNECE in cooperation with numerous partners, and discussed challenges and opportunities related to the financing of transboundary water cooperation and basin development. More specifically, the workshop aimed to:

1. Provide a platform and facilitate mutual learning to discuss experiences and good practices in mobilizing financial resources for basin cooperation and transboundary water management and development activities;
2. Analyze the role of the private sector and innovative financial mechanisms in investing in water-related activities at the transboundary level;
3. Provide a platform for International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and other banks and investors to share information on their functioning and the requirements for countries and RBOs to access their financing.

The key issues discussed included:

• Funding needs for transboundary water cooperation and basin development;
• Funding sources (public, private) and their specific nature, characteristics, operational details and requirements;
• Challenges related to accessing these different funding resources and lessons learned for overcoming them.

The virtual workshop was co-organized with the African Development Bank (AfDB); the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Global Environment Facility (GEF); the Global Environment Facility International Waters Learning Exchange and Resources Network (GEF IW:LEARN), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); the Netherlands (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Senegal (Ministry of Water and Sanitation); Switzerland (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), the United Nations Capital Development Funds (UNCDF); the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the World Bank.

For more information on the outcomes of the workshop, please click here.

Further Information

• Nexus Blog // Multiple ways to finance transboundary water cooperation exist but significant gaps remain, concludes a high-level workshop convened by UNECE and partners
• Publication // Background Study on Funding and Financing of Transboundary Water Cooperation and Basin Development

Presentation

by Mr. Fernando R. Miralles, George Mason University