This final workshop on Assessing the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus and Benefits of Transboundary Cooperation in the Drina River Basin, was held in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from 19 to 20 April 2017. It is part of the project “Greening economic development in Western Balkans through applying a nexus approach and identification of benefits of transboundary cooperation” funded by the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea. The workshop was organized jointly by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC), and hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The nexus assessment focuses on the interlinkages among four key sectors in the Drina Basin – water, energy, food and ecosystems. It builds on the assessment of the nexus in the Sava River Basin, carried out under the Water Convention from 2014 to 2015.
This nexus assessment in the Drina River Basin provides a basis for the identification of opportunities and concrete benefits of transboundary cooperation across sectors, but also of improved intersectoral coordination at the state level.
The objectives of the workshop were to present the findings from the assessment, including the main intersectoral issues and possible improvements (solutions) in the following areas, including to guide investment:
- (Co-) optimizing flow regulation and development of renewable energy potential
- Promoting rural development including through modernizing agriculture
- Improving water quality, including management and regulation of solid waste
- Broadening the scope of transboundary cooperation
This workshop provided for hearing reactions from different sector ministries of the riparian countries to the conclusions and recommendations of the technical report, as well as for discussing among the stakeholders opportunities for follow-up activities.
A media communication by UNECE regarding the workshop can be found here.
The publication and information materials produced by the project can be found here.
| Document title | ENG |
|---|---|
| Agenda | |
| Session 1 | |
| Introduction to assessment of the Nexus and the benefits of cooperation under the UNECE Water Convention Ms. Annukka Lipponen, UNECE |
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| Session 2 | |
| Chapter 5: (Co-)optimizing flow regulation (including flood protection, integration of non-hydro renewables, taking into account environmental flow requirements etc.) and development of capacity for renewable energies Mr. Youssef Almulla, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) |
|
| Chapter 6: Promoting rural development (modernizing agriculture by improving practices, increasing productivity, improving quality etc.) Ms. Lucia de Strasser, UNECE consultant |
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| Chapter 7: Protecting water quality and improving management of solid waste Mr. Stephen Stec, Central European University (CEU) |
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| Session 4 | |
| Investments in sustainable renewable energy generation - Green energy park Livno Mr. Vanja Curin, Biomass Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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| The project “Promoting the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in Southeastern Europe, through the use of Nexus approach” Mr. Dimitris Faloutsos, Global Water Partnership Mediterranean |
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| Tracking renewable energy development in the region and the matchmaking opportunity at the 8th International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development in Astana Mr. Gianluca Sambucini, UNECE |
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| Session 5 | |
| The governance context of the Drina & possible avenues for strengthening intersectoral coordination Mr. Stephen Stec, Central European University |
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| Environmental flows, flow regulation and water allocation Ms. Annukka Lipponen, UNECE |
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| Coupling energy system modelling with hydrological modelling Mr. Samo Grošelj, International Sava River Basin Commission secretariat |
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| The Global Environment Facility (GEF) West Balkans Drina River Basin Management Project Mr. Igor Palandzic, World Bank |
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| List of participants | Excel |
| Workshop conclusions |