Exploring the Results and Potential for Transboundary Water Management Cooperation

Philip Weller

ICPDR, Executive Secretary

Danube River Basin – a source for transboundary cooperation

Joint Meeting EUWI‘s EECCA WG

12-13 May 2008 Bucharest

12 May 2008

Structure

• Danube River as a Source for Cooperation

• Results of the WFD Danube Analysis

• Cooperation and partnerships

• Other initiatives

• A way forward: Danube and other

international river basins

12 May 2008

• ~9% Europe

• 81 M inhabitants

• 19 Countries

Most

international

River Basin in the

World

12 May 2008

The legal frame for co-operation to assure

protection of water and ecological resources

and their sustainable use

in the Danube River Basin.

Danube River Protection Convention

signed: 29 June 1994, Sofia

entered into force: 22 October 1998

12 May 2008

Danube River Protection Convention: Objectives

• Ensure conservation and the rational use of

surface waters and ground water

• Control discharge of waste waters, inputs of

nutrients and hazardous substances from point

and diffuse sources

• Control floods and ice hazards

• Reduce pollution loads of the Black Sea from

sources in the Danube catchment area

12 May 2008

International Commission responsible

for the implementation of the DRPC.

International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River

since: 1 October 1999

12 May 2008

River Basin

Management

Expert Group

ICPDR

Secretariat

Pressures and

Measures

Expert Group

Monitoring and

Assessment

Expert Group

Flood Protection

Expert Group

ICPDR –

Delegations of the Contracting Parties

Ad hoc Info and

GIS Expert Group

Ad hoc Public

Participation

Expert Group

Ad hoc Strategic

Expert Group

Supported by:

Structure of the Cooperation:

12 May 2008

Germany

Austria

Czech Republic

Slovakia

Hungary

Slovenia

Croatia

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Rep. of Serbia

Romania

Bulgaria

Rep. of Moldova

Ukraine

European Union

Contracting Parties

Montenegro (under ratification)

12 May 2008

Economic Disparities

GDP per capita (PPP) in $, 2006

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

GE AT CZ SK HU SI HR BA RS ME BG RO MD UA

12 May 2008

GWP CEE UNESCO - IHP

Navigation Commission

Black Sea Commission Die Donau –

Tourism Commission

VGB Power TechREC

Observers to the ICPDR

Europ. Angling Ass.

Friends of Nature

12 May 2008

Structure

• Danube River as a Source for Cooperation

• Results of the WFD Danube Analysis

• Cooperation and partnerships

• Other initiatives

• A way forward: Danube and other

international river basins

12 May 2008

Danube River Basin Analysis Report

Approved at the Ministerial Meeting

– Vienna, 13 December 2004

WFD Article V

Roof Report

12 May 2008

accounting for 60% of the EU territory

110 river basin districts in Europe, of which the Danube has

the largest surface area and is the most international

Implementation of WFD has highest priority for the ICPDR

ICPDR is platform for coordination

Contracting Parties will make all efforts to achieve a

coordinated river basin management plan

Dealing with the context – the diversity of circumstances

WFD Implementation

Key challenges

12 May 2008

Coordination Mechanism

IT

C

H

PL

MK

A

L

D

E AT

C

Z

U

A

M

D

H

U

SIRS

B

G

R

O

SK

H

RB

A

ICPDR

Cooperation

Bilateral agreements

Cooperation

Cooperation at sub-basin level:

e.g. Sava, Tisza

12 May 2008

2003 - Transposition into national legislation

2003 - Identification of River Basin District

2004 - Analysis of pressures, impacts, use

2006 - Monitoring programmes operational

2006 - Start consultation with public

2008 - Stakeholder Consultation Process (navigation, hydropower, agriculture)

2009 - JPM and River Basin Management Plan

2010 - Pricing policies

2012 - Joint Program of Measures operational

2015 - Environmental objectives

WFD Implementation timetable

12 May 2008

Significant Water Management Issues

Organic

Pollution

Nutrient

Pollution

Hazardous

Substances PollutionHydromorphological

Alterations

12 May 2008

Joint Programme of

Measures (JPM)

Addresses all pressures (pollution & hydromorphology)

Achievement of environmental objective:

good ecological/chemical status

Development of Joint Programme of Measures (JPM)

• Largely based on national measures

• Basin-wide measures

Long-term visions

12 May 2008

JDS 2

12 May 2008

Piscius

JDS 2 Fleet

Szechenyi

Argus

12 May 2008

Sturgeon Issues in DRB

Vision and management objectives for sturgeons

as part of DRB Plan:

Sturgeon species and specified other migratory species are

able to access the Danube River and relevant tributaries.

12 May 2008

Inland Navigation

12 May 2008

• Inland navigation can contribute to making transport more

environmentally sustainable ...

• but it can also have significant impact on river ecosystems !

• Intensive, cross-sectoral consensus-building among

stakeholders!

• Joint statement on principles and criteria for sustainable

navigation (incl. infrastructure development and

maintenance).

Consensus building process: navigation

12 May 2008

Flood Issues in the DRB

Action Plan for flood control

Danube EFAS

Basin-wide flood monitoring

Flood risk mapping

12 May 2008

Structure

• Danube River as a Source for Cooperation

• Results of the WFD Danube Analysis

• Cooperation and partnerships

• Other initiatives

• A way forward: Danube and other

international river basins

12 May 2008

Cooperation & Partnership

CCHBC

12 May 2008

Cooperation with the Black Sea

“Towards stronger partnership in water management

Danube Black Sea countries”, Feb 23, 2007, Bucharest

Memorandum of Understanding

between the International Commission for

the Protection of the Black Sea (ICPBS) and

the International Commission for the

Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) on

Common Strategic Goals

12 May 2008

PartnershipCoca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company ICPDR President 2005 Coca-Cola HBC

12 May 2008

Structure

• Danube River as a Source for Cooperation

• Results of the WFD Danube Analysis

• Cooperation and partnerships

• Other initiatives

• A way forward: Danube and other

international river basins

12 May 2008

Sub-basin Initiatives

12 May 2008

Sub-basin InitiativeSava

12 May 2008

Sub-basin initiativeTisza Group

12 May 2008

• Annual Report

• Danube Watch

• ICPDR website

Publications of the ICPDR

12 May 2008

12 May 2008

Let us celebrate

Danube Day 2008

together!

Danube Day 2008

12 May 2008

Danube Box

12 May 2008

Structure

• Danube River as a Source for Cooperation

• Results of the WFD Danube Analysis

• Cooperation and partnerships

• Other initiatives

• A way forward: Danube and other

international river basins

Conclusions• The ICPDR provides a forum for the necessary

dialogue, understanding and action needed to

meet the existing challenges

• Danube countries show strong commitments

to cooperate

• Important progress in establishing the

necessary mechanisms for coordination and

cooperation under DRPC has been made

12 May 2008

Danube and other International River BasinsFuture cooperation is envisaged between the ICPDR

and other river basins (Mississippi, Mekong, Orange)

through:

Technical exchange

Participation in activities and collaborative

actions on issues of common interest:

water management, navigation, flood

management, water pollution control, water

quality assurance

12 May 2008

Thank you for your attention!

www.icpdr.orgicpdr@unvienna.org