sub-regional approach and its potential for the eusdr implementation: case of the sava river basin,...

Sub-regional approach and its potential for the EUSDR implementation

Dejan Komatina, Ph.D. Civ. Eng., Secretary, ISRBC

- Case of the Sava river basin -

Workshop "WRM aspects of the EU Baltic and Danube strategies", Budapest, 5 Apr 2011 2

Overview

• Introduction on the Sava River Basin

• Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB) and International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC)

• Approach of the ISRBC

• ISRBC and the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR)

• Summary

• Contact Information


Sava River Basin

– Area: 97 713 km2 (the second largest Danube sub-basin; share: 12%)

– Average flow at the mouth: 1722 m3/s (the largest Danube tributary; contribution: 25%)

– River length: 940 km (594 km of which is the waterway)

– Population: approx. 8.5 million

Country Share of the basin (%)

Share of the territory (%)

Albania 0.2 0.6

Bosnia & Herzegovina 39.2 75.8

Croatia 26.0 45.2

Montenegro 7.1 49.6

Serbia 15.5 17.4

Slovenia 12.0 52.8


Sava River Basin

• High environmental and social value

– Natural beauty


Sava River Basin


– High biological and landscape diversity(natural wetlands, parks, protected areas)


Sava River Basin


– Large retention areas


Sava River Basin


– High potential for transport of cargo and passengers


Sava River Basin


– High potential for tourism and recreation


FASRB

• Until 1990’s:

– Sava river used to be the biggest national river

– Integrated management of the Sava water resources

• 1990’s to 2000’s:

– Management of the water resources restricted to the country level

– Integrated approach accepted on European level

• Since 2000’s:

– Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (signed 2002, ratif. 2004)

– International Sava River Basin Commission (est. 2005, Secr. 2006)

– 4 Parties (Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia)


FASRB

• From different priorities to Integrated TWRM approach

– Rehabilitation and development of navigation

– Flood protection

– Utilization of potentials for tourism development

– Utilization of potentials for energy production

– Maintenance of water quality and quantity


FASRB

• Key objective:

Transboundary cooperation

for sustainable development of the region

• Particular objectives:

– To establish an international regime of navigation

– To establish sustainable water management

– To prevent/limit hazards (floods, droughts, ice and accidents) and reduce/eliminate their negative consequences


FASRB

• Implementation coordinated by the ISRBC (BA, HR, RS, SI)

• Fields of work of the ISRBC

– Issues of sustainability:• Improvement of water quality

• Maintenance of water quantity

• Protection of aquatic ecosystem

• Protection against the harmful effects of water (due to floods, ice, droughts, accidents)

– Development activities:• Different kinds of water use

(navigation, hydropower generation, water supply, sewerage, irrigation and drainage, fishery, tourism and recreation)

• Broadest scope of work among European river commissions


ISRBC

• Coordination of:

– Development of joint / integrated plans for the SRB

• River Basin Management Plan (in accordance with the EU WFD)

• Flood Risk Management Plan (in accordance with the EU Flood Directive)

– Establishment of integrated systems for the SRB

• GIS (in accordance with the INSPIRE Directive and WISE)

• RIS – River Information Services (in accordance with the EU RIS Directive)

• Flood Forecasting and Warning System

• Accident Emergency Warning System (use of the ICDPR’s system)

– Preparation of development programs for the SRB

• Rehabilitation and development of navigation

• Development of (nautical) tourism

All the activities performed through implementation of projects


• Coordination of (cont.):

– Harmonization of regulation (national EU)

– Creation of additional protocols to the FASRB

• Navigation regime

• Prevention of water pollution caused by navigation

• Flood protection

• Emergency situations

• Sediment management

• Transboundary impacts

• Cooperation / stakeholder involvement / public participation

ISRBC


Example

• Rehabilitation of the Waterway on the Sava River

– Planning phase (studies, design)

– Technical standards (rules harmonized with EU and UNECE regulation)

– Protocol on prevention of water pollution caused by navigation

– Sava RBM Plan

– Climate Adaptation Plan

– Sediment Management Plan

– Initial phase of the RIS development

3.5 – 9.6 million tonnes

3 - 8 million

5.8 – 15.5 million tonnes 7.8 – 20.8 million tonnes

Sisak Bosanski Brod Brcko Belgrade


Example

• Rehabilitation of the Waterway on the Sava River

– Joint Statement(ICPDR, DC, ISRBC, and EC)

– Manual on Integrated IWT Planning(EU FP7 PLATINA Project)

– WANDA (SEE TCP Project)

Cruiser “Victor Hugo”, Sisak, June 2010


Added value

• Key features of the approach

– Cohesive, providing conditions for:

• Cooperation of the countries after the conflict

• Implementation of joint, basin-wide projects

• Harmonization of national regulation, methodologies, procedures …

– Integrated (whole basin; sustainability and development)

– Transparent (public participation)

– Aligned with the EU and UNECE regulation (EU Directives, UNECE Water Convention, ...)

– Subregional (“finer resolution” of results than on a regional scale)

– Pragmatic and practical (offering concrete “products” to the Parties – joint plans, development programs, protocols, harmonized regulation, integrated systems)


Added value

• Relevance to EU 2020

– Sustainable growth

• Programs for sustainable development of the region (navigation, tourism)

• Climate change adaptation (two ongoing projects)

• Use of hydropower as a renewable energy source

– Smart growth

• Involvement of academic sector

• Establishment of information systems for the basin

– Inclusive growth

• Fostering contribution of SMEs to sustainable development of the region


Added value

• Indicators

– Interest in the ISRBC approach

• South-Eastern Europe

• Mediterranean

• Europe

• Central Asia

– Recognition of the Joint Statement Process

• EU (e.g. in the European Parliament resolution on EUSDR)

• Similar processes to be launched in the fields of hydropower and agriculture


ISRBC and EUSDR

• Main activities during the consultation and drafting process

– Raising awareness that the EUSDR and the FASRB have the identical main objective – sustainable development of the region they refer to

– Presentation of the ISRBC approach to sustainable development of the Sava region

– Presentation of the ISRBC priority projects appropriate to be executed within the implementation of the EUSDR


ISRBC and EUSDR

• Main messages during the consultation and drafting process

– The ISRBC projects are worth to be taken into account, as they are:

• the projects already agreed upon by the 4 countries

• complementary to other projects proposed by the countries

– The sub-regional level is likely to be the most effective levelfrom the viewpoint of the EUSDR implementation

– Implementation of the ISRBC projects in the framework of the EUSDR can yield double benefits – contribution to an effective implementation of both FASRB and EUSDR


ISRBC and EUSDR

• ISRBC projects included in the EUSDR Action Plan

– Completion and adoption of the Sava RBM Plan PA 4

– Establishment and completion of the Sava GIS PA 4

– Examination of biodiversity and environmental status of sediment, water and biota in the Sava river basin PA 4

– Preparation and implementation of the water and climate adaptation plan for the Sava river basin PA 5

– Preparation and implementation of a water pollution contin-gency management plan for the Sava river basin PA 5


ISRBC and EUSDR

• Other priority projects of the ISRBC

– Rehabilitation and improvement of the Sava river waterway PA 1

– Support to preparation of the Flood Risk Management Plan for the Sava river basin PA 5

– Hydrological study for the Sava river basin PA 5

– Support to establishment of the Sava RIS PA 1

– Support to development of nautical tourism in the Sava river basin PA 3

– Development of the Hydro-meteorological information and flood forecasting and warning system for the Sava river basin

PA 5


ISRBC and EUSDR

• 3rd Meeting of the Parties(Brdo near Kranj, Slovenia, 31 May – 1 June 2011)


Summary

• Identical overall objective of the EUSDR and FASRB

• Conformity of the ISRBC approach and its priority projects with the EUSDR priorities

• High potential for synergy – implementation of the ISRBC projects within the EUSDR framework can contribute to the implementation of both EUSDR and FASRB

• The sub-regional level is likely to be the most effective level from the viewpoint of the EUSDR implementation

QUESTION:

Baltic experience with the implementation on a sub-regional level ?


Contact Information

International Sava River Basin Commission

Vladimira Nazora 61

10000 Zagreb

Croatia

www.savacommission.org

sub-regional approach and its potential for the eusdr implementation: case of the sava river basin,...

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