Around 30 representatives of different stakeholders and donors attended the 3rd NPD Steering Committee meeting in Baku on 23 January 2014. It was agreed to finalize the State water strategy within the next few months. The long-debated strategy, once finalized, will lay the ground for the adoption of the key principles of IWRM and initiate the process of relevant changes in national legislation, bringing it into line with the EU Water Framework Directive. Steering Committee discussed the potential of applying new economic instruments in water sector, such as a reform of water abstraction fees. Participants also welcomed the proposal to initiate the process of target setting under the Protocol on Water and Health. In order to meet the priorities set in the 2014 workplan, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan will establish three working groups under the NPD process. The working groups on economic aspects will look at economic models that could help to achieve financial sustainability of the water management. A legal working group will first finalize the State water strategy, starting than to analyse further legislative changes needed. The third working group will be dealing with water quality monitoring issues with special attention to the state of transboundary rivers.
Press release of the meeting is available in English and Russian.
| Documents | ENG |
|---|---|
| Agenda | |
| Minutes | |
| List of participants | |
| Report |
| Presentations | ENG |
|---|---|
| Introduction to the Protocol on Water and Health and its main provisions Mr. Alisher Mamadzhanov, UNECE |
|
| Main principles of financing water resources management and key elements of the reform of economic instruments in the water sector of Azerbaijan Mr. Xavier Leflaive and Ms. Tatiana Efimova, OECD |
|
| UNECE activities on the water-food-energy nexus pilot project in Alazani basin Mr. Peep Mardiste, UNECE |