As demonstrated by the nexus assessment report of the Sava River Basin, summarized in the UNECE publication “Reconciling Different Resource Uses in Transboundary Basins: Assessment on the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems-Nexus” of November 2015, there are various benefits of transboundary cooperation to the riparian countries.
In response to this report’s conclusions, an assessment of intersectoral links, trade-offs and benefits in the Drina River Basin (Drina project) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, was launched by the workshop. It will assess the interlinkages among four key sectors in the Drina Basin – water, energy, food and ecosystems. The aims are (i) to identify intersectoral synergies that could be further explored and utilized and (ii) to determine policy measures and actions that could reduce the tensions between sectoral objectives, avoid unintended consequences of resource management and resolve trade-offs between sectors. Additionally the Drina project will address the relevant findings of the recent UNECE Renewable Energy Status Report.
First, participants discussed the main strategic orientations of the different sectors in the riparian countries sharing the basin. The findings of the nexus assessment of the Sava River Basin pertinent to the Drina basin were recalled and the intersectoral issues and their relative importance as well as predicted influences of climate change were discussed. Further, diverse potential solutions to reduce negative impacts or to benefit from opportunities related to improved intersectoral coordination and transboundary cooperation were identified. The conclusions and recommendations of the workshop will provide the direction for an analysis of priority measures and related benefits in the next steps.
The intersectoral (nexus) assessment methodology and the policy guidance on benefits of transboundary cooperation used in the project were developed under the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.
The workshop was jointly organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC). The workshop was hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Montenegro with the financial support of the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea.
A press release by UNECE regarding the workshop can be found here.
| Documents | ENG | RUS |
|---|---|---|
| Agenda | ENG | |
| List of participants | ENG | |
| Report | ENG | |
| Presentations | ||
| Opening session | ||
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Introduction to the Assessment of the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus and benefits of cooperation in the Drina Basin Ms. Annukka Lipponen, Environmental Affairs Officer, UNECE |
ENG | |
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Methodology for assessment of the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus under the UNECE Water Convention Ms. Lucia de Strasser, UNECE Consultant
|
ENG | |
| Session 1: Setting the stage: The sub-regional context | ||
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Overview on renewable energies: UNECE Status report and country commitments within the Energy Community Mr. Miloš Banjac, Vice-Chair of the UNECE Group of Experts on Renewable Energy (GERE)/Assistant Minister, Ministry for Infrastructure and Energy, Republic of Serbia |
ENG | |
|
Status of ecosystems in the Western Balkans and the outlook: Mr. Goran Sekulić, WWF |
ENG | |
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Technical assistance projects to support water management in the Drina River Basin: Ms. Dragana Milovanović, Directorate for Water, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection of the Republic of Serbia |
ENG | |
| Session 2: National development plans and sectoral goals in the Drina river basin | ||
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UNECE Renewable Energy Status Report Mr. Gianluca Sambucini, Secretary of the UNECE Group of Experts on Renewable Energy (GERE) |
ENG | |
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RBM Planning Ms. Dragana Milovanović, Directorate for Water, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Protection of the Republic of Serbia |
RUS | |
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Infrastructure solutions: Guiding Principles: Sustainable Hydropower Development in the Danube Basin Mr. Momčilo Blagojević, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Montenegro
|
ENG | |
| Session 3: Exploring the nexus in the Drina Basin: Zooming in from the Sava assessment | ||
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An overview of the identified intersector issues and results from the analysis: Mr. Eunice Ramos, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) |
ENG | |
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Drina River Basin Nexus Assessment: Governance Desk Study Mr. Stephen Stec and Savannah Carr-Wilson, Central European University |
ENG | |
| Session 4: Presentation of the group work and plenary discussion about the intersectoral issues and their relative importance | ||
| Session 5: Group work – intersectoral linkages and influences | ||
| Session 6: Predicted impacts of the climate change on the Sava and the Drina River Basins | ||
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Climate change predictions for the Sava River Basin and relevant projects on climate change Ms. Dejan Komatina, Secretary, ISRBC |
ENG | |
| Session 7 (part 1): Reconciling different uses: potential nexus solutions | ||
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5 Nexus Solutions Mr. Roberto Martin-Hurtado, UNECE Consultant |
ENG | |
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Institutional solutions Mr. Stephen Stec, Central European University |
ENG | |
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National development plans and sectoral goals in the Drina river basin – Environment Mr. Momčilo Blagojević, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Montenegro) |
ENG | |
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International coordination and cooperation in development financing Mr. Sven Hartmann, KfW Group, Germany |
ENG | |
| Session 7 (part 2): Benefits of transboundary cooperation | ||
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Towards a broader understanding of benefits of cooperation in the Drina basin Mr. Roberto Martin-Hurtado, UNECE Consultant |
ENG | |
| Session 8: Information and sources, indicators and presentation of findings | ||
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Opinion Based Questionaires Ms. Lucia de Strasser, UNECE Consultant |
ENG | |
| Session 9: Further steps of the nexus assessment and benefits’ study in the Drina River Basin | ||
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Drina nexus and benefits project timeline Ms. Annukka Lipponen, Environmental Affairs Officer, UNECE |
ENG |