Drin Dialogue: Multi-stakeholders Consultation Meeting at the transboundary level

The meeting will be organized in Tirana, on Thursday 24 November 2011, with the support and collaboration of the: Albanian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med), Mediterranean Information Office for Environment Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE) and UNDP.

The meeting will bring together targeted representatives of stakeholders from the extended Drin Basin, from Prespa to the Adriatic Sea. It follows up and builds on the work of three National Consultation Meetings that took place in the Ohrid, Tirana and Podgorica within the past twelve months.

This event as all activities within the Drin Dialogue, is financially supported by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

The Drin Dialogue aims to develop a Shared Vision for the sustainable management of the Drin Basin. This includes exploring ways to enhance transboundary cooperation in compliance with the provisions of the UNECE Water Convention and other related multi-lateral Agreements, as well as the EU Water Framework Directive.

The Drin Dialogue is conducted within the frameworks of the UNECE Water Convention and the Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process. Activities within the Dialogue contribute directly to and are part of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative and of the GEF Med Partnership.

The Multi-stakeholders Consultation Meeting at the transboundary level will discuss the:

• Management issues as well as possible response actions at transboundary level towards the sustainable management of the Extended Drin Basin i.e. Prespa, Ohrid, Drin, Shkoder/Skadar and Buna/Bojana sub-basins; a presentation about the main water resources related management issues, as these came out through the National Consultation Meetings and a review of the existing published scientific information, will set the basis for this discussion.
• Next steps towards coordinated action/enhanced cooperation among the Riparians.