The International Roundtable on “Principles for Multipurpose Water Management in the Sava River Basin” took place in Zagreb, Croatia, 15-17 November 2006. It was organized by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment in cooperation with the World Bank and the International Sava River Basin Commission.

The Roundtable was part of the activities within the Petersberg Process Phase II / Athens Declaration Process.

Participants The group of 57 participants included representatives of competent authorities and organizations that work in the shared water body of focus from Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia and Slovenia; of Donor Countries, and International and Regional Institutions, Organizations and NGOs (European Agency for Reconstruction, GWP-Med, International Sava River Basin Commission, REC, UNDP, World Bank etc.).

The event addressed issues of Integrated Water Resources Management in relation to the European Union Water Framework Directive, taking into account aspects of competing uses in the Sava catchment area. The International Roundtable discussed the following topics:

The participants agreed that the European integration process and the increasing convergence of local and international interests constitute a sound basis to step up efforts in the transboundary management of the Sava river with particular emphasis on competing uses.

Water policy in the region is increasingly geared towards the application of EU water legislation and in particular the Water Framework Directive, which provides a common reference framework for the four riparian states. Their cooperation is aimed not only at improving the environmental situation, but also at facilitating economic and social development.

The recommendations agreed upon included:

• On a spatial scale, sustainable water management at the Sava river, in particular with a view to multipurpose uses, has to cover the whole river basin, which has to be managed in an integrated and sustainable way.
• It is a prerequisite for the professional management of the Sava to identify the major driving forces of sustainable development (navigation, hydropower, tourism, agriculture etc.) and to assign priorities, although these may change over time.
• Different levels of use have to be interlinked. Joint plans and programmes of the riparian states should be in line with national legislation and considered in the implementation of land use plans.
• Interest groups and Stakeholders in the Sava river Basin have to become aware of their responsibilities and should be supported to facilitate better cooperation.
• Ongoing processes for political and economic integration in the region (such as the European integration process) provide valuable models that can be adapted to the situation along the Sava river.

The states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia would like to continue the political dialogue initiated at the International Roundtable as well as the scientific exchange on competing uses and the coordination with other donors and institutions in the region. The ultimate goal is not only to enhance and deepen cooperation (especially with the two Danube Commissions), but also to complete the analysis of the International Sava River Basin with a focus on transboundary multipurpose uses, a realistic assessment of ecosystems and ecosystem services (also with a view to their socioeconomic value) and the integration of sustainable water management into sectoral planning processes.

The exchange on transboundary water management in South-Eastern Europe will be continued with the goal of further expanding networks that stretch across several countries or catchment areas. For the water management area of the Sava river, this means that cooperation within the region and beyond will be continued and strengthened.

•  Program

Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process
Principles for Multipurpose Water
Management in the Sava River Basin
Zagreb, 15 - 17 November 2006
(at Croatian Waters, Av. Vukovar 220)

 

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15 November - Wednesday
14:00 – 14:45	Registration
15:00	Welcome and Introductory Remarks
	Germany / Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (Mr Thomas Stratenwerth)
	World Bank (Mr Anand K. Seth) International Sava River Basin Commission (Mr Kemal Karkin)
	Report from the International Roundtable on Integrated Shared Lake Basin Management in Ohrid
	Global Water Partnership Mediterranean (Mr Dimitris Faloutsos)
First Block Water Framework Directive as basis for Multipurpose Water Management in the Sava River Basin? Moderation Mr Thomas Stratenwerth and Mr Dejan Komatina
15:30	Status of the Water Framework Directive Implementation in the Danube River Basin with focus on Multipurpose Water Management (Mr Philip Weller)
	Approach of the International Sava River Basin Commission (Mr Dejan Komatina)
	Overview of ongoing multilateral activities in the Sava River Basin Worldbank (Mr Stjepan Gabric) GEF / IW:LEARN (Mr Mish Hamid)
	European Agency for Reconstruction (Mr Branko Mikasinovic)
	UNDP / GEF (Mr Ivan Zavadsky)
	Euronatur (Mr Martin Schneider-Jacoby)
	CARDS Project of the European Commission (Mr Senad Ploco) SARIB-Project (Mr Tarik Kupusovic)
18:00	Summary of the first day
19:30	Reception (Hotel International, Miramarska 24, Zagreb)
16th November - Thursday
Second Block Thematic Sessions on Multipurpose Water Management in the Sava River Basin Moderation Mr Thomas Stratenwerth
09.00	Introduction to the thematic sessions by the moderator
09.30	Multipurpose Water Management & Aquatic and Environmental
	Ecosystems
	facilitated and reported by Mr Branko Bosnjakovic and Mr Mitja Bricelj
	Initial Presentations
	- Management of Aquatic and Environmental Ecosystems in South-Eastern Europe (Mr Mitja Bricelj)
	- Valuation and Payment Mechanisms for Ecosystem Services in Integrated Water Resources Management   (Mr Branko Bosnjakovic)
11.00	Coffee Break
11.30	Multipurpose Water Management & Flood Mitigation
	facilitated and reported by Mr Martin Socher and Mr Danko Biondic
	Initial Presentations
	- Flood risk management in the trans-national Elbe Basin – the ICPE as platform for co-operation (Mr Martin Socher)
	- Flood Mitigation in the Sava River Basin (Mr Danko Biondic)
13.00	Lunch Break
14:30	Multipurpose Water Management & Navigation
	facilitated and reported by Mr Volker Mohaupt and Mr Tarik Kupusovic
	Initial Presentations
	- Waters and Navigation in the EU: Recent Water Framework Directive Recommendations for Better Policy Integration    and Good Practice in Managing Ecological Impacts (Mr Volker Mohaupt)
	- Navigation within the Sava River Basin: present conditions and further development (Mr Tarik Kupusovic)
16.00	Coffee Break
16:30	Multipurpose Water Management & Hydropower
	facilitated and reported by Mr Alessandro Palmieri and Ms Marina Babic-Mladenovic
	Initial Presentations
	- Multipurpose Water Use and Hydropower in Serbia (Mr Nikola Marjanovic)
	- Hydropower potential of the Sava River Basin (Ms Milica Djuric)
	- Hydropower in a Multipurpose Approach (Mr Alessandro Palmieri)
18:00	End of day two
19:30	Dinner
	Restaurant "Stara vura" (Opaticka 20, Zagreb)
17th November - Friday
Third Block Recommendations and Future Steps Moderation Mr Thomas Stratenwerth and Mr Dejan Komatina
09.00	Rapport of the Working Sessions and Roundtable on
	Recommendations and Future Steps
	- Multipurpose Water Management & Aquatic and Environmental Ecosystems
	- Multipurpose Water Management & Flood Mitigation
	- Multipurpose Water Management & Navigation
	- Multipurpose Water Management & Hydropower
	Supplementary statements and discussion by all participants
11.00	Coffee Break
11.30	Conclusive remarks and next steps
	Presentation of the conclusions of the roundtable (Ms Franca Schwarz)
	International Sava River Basin Commission (Mr Mitja Bricelj)
	World Bank (Mr Alessandro Palmieri) Germany / Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (Mr Thomas Stratenwerth)

• Summary Reports of the Thematic Sessions

1. WaterManagement Ecosystems
2. Floods
3. Navigation
4. Hydropower