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Match-making event

Match-making event

Accelerating transboundary cooperation and the implementation of the Water Convention in new Parties through increased support and partnership

22 October 2024 9:30 - 17:30
Stebrna Hall, Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre; Room “Povodni mož PM 1+2” (Outdoor area B) Ljubljana Slovenia

 

Since the global opening of the Water Convention in 2016, more than 10 countries from outside the Pan-European region have joined, mostly from Africa, and more than 20 are in the process of accession. The process of accession has allowed Parties to identify and recognize specific needs and priorities for development of cooperation and management of shared basins, national water governance, and investments.

These needs and priorities can be addressed with solutions using domestic resources at national level, often complemented by solutions that can be proposed by financial and technical partners and more experienced Parties alike.

Given its high-level political nature, the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention (MOP 10) taking place on 23-25 October 2024 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, provided a useful framework and platform for new Parties to present identified needs and priorities, and for technical and financial partners to explore concrete support to advance transboundary water cooperation and management in these countries.

In order to provide a dedicated space to do so, the secretariat organized on 22 October 2024  (one day prior to MOP 10), a match-making event aimed at accelerating transboundary cooperation and the implementation of the Water Convention in new Parties through increased support and partnership.

Objectives of the event:

The match-making event aimed to support new Parties and those close to accession in implementing the Water Convention and accelerating transboundary water cooperation by identifying partners and resources before and during the event to further support implementation plans and related projects. The event facilitated matchmaking between new Parties to the Water Convention and interested partners for (transboundary) water cooperation activities/projects, and possible twinning between experienced Parties and new Parties. It also paved the way for longer-term mobilization of resources and partners.

More specifically the event aimed to:

- Match needs and priority areas for transboundary water cooperation and management with existing support and resources opportunities to accelerate transboundary water cooperation;

- Showcase national implementation plans for the Water Convention and concrete project proposals prepared by the 11 new Parties supported in the framework of this event;

- Spark reactions from and discussions with partners and experienced Parties, ideally resulting in expressions of interest from technical and financial partners (matching needs with support and resources);

- Discuss how different experienced Parties and partners can support implementation of the Water Convention in new Parties through different approaches i.e. twinning, funding/financing projects, technical exchanges;

- Facilitate South-South Cooperation, i.e. support and cooperation between different new Parties to the Water Convention; 

- Provide opportunities for discussions and exchanges between technical and financial partners and recipient countries including on concrete project proposals and ideas.

Participation:

The match-making was by invitation only and many countries, partners and stakeholders attended the event, such as:

- Some of the newest Parties to the Water Convention and some countries close to accession (e.g. Zambia, Costa Rica, etc.); as well as River Basin Organizations (RBOs) to which these countries are members;

- Established Parties to the Convention, which could be represented by their development cooperation agencies, technical ministries and/or ministries responsible for development cooperation assistance such as DG INTPA, GIZ/BMZ, AICS or SDC; Slovenia, Netherlands, Finland and/or others, depending on interest;

- International Financial Institutions: including World Bank, AfDB, or the GEF; and technical partners such as UNCDF, UNDP, UNEP, IUCN, or GWP, and other relevant GEF executing agencies, GEF IW:LEARN;

Project proposals developed by the 11 Parties to the Water Convention

Parties to the Water Convention

Title of the projects proposals

English

French

Spanish

Cameroon

Quantitative and qualitative assessment of water resources in Cameroon

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Project to acquire and install automatic weather stations on the national section of the Logone transboundary basin

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Chad

Strengthening and monitoring of hydrometeorological and piezometric networks in the Logone transboundary basin

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Updating and strengthening national legal, legislative and regulatory documents in the water sector

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Ghana

Volta Basin Agencies Partnership Program for Sustainable River basins and climate resilience (TRACS)

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Guinea-Bissau

Setting up a national national system of knowledge, monitoring and exchange of data on groundwater resources groundwater resources of the BASM

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Rehabilitation and Optimisation of the Hydrometric Network (RORHN) of transboundary transboundary rivers

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Iraq

Strengthening hydrological cooperation among riparian states to assess the impact of climate change on the waters of the Euphrates and Tigris River basins

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Namibia

Equitable water allocation for enhanced transboundary cooperation in the Kunene River Basin

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Nigeria

River flow proportioning structure near Marawaji in the HJKY Basin

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Biomonitoring of River Niger and its Main Tributaries Within Nigeria

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Panama

Integrated watershed-to-sea management for hydroclimatic resilience in the Rio Coto y Vecinos

 

 

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Senegal

Project to modernise and strengthen shared Water Resources Information Systems (WIS)

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Project to promote the 1992 Water Convention and develop partnership at regional level through the Dakar Water Hub

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The Gambia

Regional Cooperation and Integrated Management of the Allahein River Basin

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Enhancing National Governance and Institutional Framework Capacity for Integrated Water Resources Management in The Gambia

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Togo

Multi-use hydraulic project and protection of rivers and water sources in the Oti basin

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Presentations

List of Presentations ENG FRE
Opening sessions    

Introduction on the event’s preparatory process objectives and expected outcomes
– Ms. Francesca Bernardini, Chief, Transboundary Water Cooperation Section, UNECE

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SESSION 1

IMPLEMENTING THE WATER CONVENTION AND FINANCING TRANSBOUNDARY WATER COOPERATION

   

(a) “Implementation of the Water Convention”, Ms. Sonja Koeppel, Secretary of the Water Convention, UNECE

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(b) “Mobilizing national resources for implementing the Convention: experience sharing from Ghana”, Mr. Bob Alfa, Acting Executive Secretary, Water Resources Commission, Ghana PDF  
(c) Examples of financial instruments for transboundary water cooperation and management:    

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SESSION 2

THE WATER CONVENTION’S CATALYST ROLE IN UNLOCKING FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR TRANSBOUNDARY WATER COOPERATION

   

(a) “How the Water Convention created an opportunity to initiate cooperation over the Senegal-Mauritanian Aquifer Basin and unlock technical and financial support”
 - Mr. Landing Bojang, Chief Hydrologist, Department of Water Resources, the Gambia

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(b) “How the twinning approach can help in implementing the Convention and create opportunities for technical support?”
- Mr. Stanley Hantambo, Water Officer, International Water Section, Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, Zambia

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(c) “How has the development of the Water Convention’s national plan been a useful process to identify possible technical and financial partners to enhance transboundary water cooperation?
- Mr. Gninpale Konlani, Water Resources Director, Ministry of Water, Togo

 

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