On 30 and 31 October 2014, Belarus and Lithuania negotiated a bilateral technical protocol on transboundary water cooperation for the shared Neman River Basin, facilitated by UNECE and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Belarus, in the framework of the project “River Basin Management and Climate Change adaptation in the Neman basin”. The protocol foresees regular data exchange and the preparation of a joint river basin management plan or coordination of national plans, as required by the European Union Water Framework Directive.
Most importantly, once signed, the protocol will lead to the creation of a commission for transboundary cooperation with working groups on different topics. This will help both countries to manage better the transboundary Neman River Basin and to implement the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UNECE Water Convention). The draft text of the technical protocol needs to undergo several consultation rounds at European Union and national level and is expected to be signed in early 2015.
In addition, at the meeting, Belarus provided information and data for the second Lithuanian river basin management plan for the Neman basin, which is currently under development, in particular for its chapters on the classification of water status, the determination of pressures and impacts, monitoring programmes and environmental objectives. Cooperation on other similar projects and national initiatives was also discussed.
The Neman basin has a population of 5.4 million in Belarus, Lithuania and a small part in the Russian Federation (Kaliningrad) as well as Poland. The river’s water is used mainly for agriculture and domestic water supply purposes.
Note to editors
The meeting was organized as part of the project “River basin management and climate change adaptation in the Neman River Basin”, which is carried out by UNECE and UNDP Belarus in the framework of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC).
The project was launched in 2011 and is funded by Finland, Sweden and Switzerland. It is one of the pilot projects on climate change adaptation in transboundary basins under the UNECE Water Convention. The overall objective of the project is to improve integrated river basin management and transboundary cooperation in times of a changing climate in the Neman River Basin. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of the countries sharing the Neman River to adapt to climate change by supporting dialogue and cooperation on the necessary steps to design an adaptation strategy in the transboundary context. It aims to reach a common understanding on future water availability and water use, taking into account possible climate change impacts.
The project has, for the first time, enabled modelling and forecasting of climatic and hydrological characteristics for the entire transboundary Neman River Basin. It has also resulted in a strategic framework for basin adaptation. Importantly, it has improved transboundary cooperation in the basin at technical and political level.