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Since its adoption over 25 years ago, the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) has supported transboundary water cooperation across the pan-European region. Through a newly introduced reporting mechanism, Parties are now
Understanding the interactions between water, food, energy and water-related ecosystems in river basins can be vital in ensuring different and often competing needs are met in a coherent manner. This is even more important in transboundary basins, where identifying intersectoral synergies and
Across the world, 153 countries share rivers, lakes and aquifers. Transboundary basins cover more than half of the Earth’s land surface, account for an estimated 60 per cent of global freshwater flow and are home to more than 40 per cent of the world’s population. Transboundary water cooperation
On 6 March the Compliance Committee of the Protocol on Water and Health initiated a consultation with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to support those countries in their efforts to improve their water and health situation and deal with emerging challenges by setting national targets under the
In the Drina River Basin, shared mainly by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, addressing water pollution and improving water quality and monitoring have emerged as key dimensions of the challenges of ensuring sustainable development in a transboundary context. These are among the
The International Water Assessment Centre (IWAC), the collaborative centre of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), was launched today in Astana, Kazakhstan.The Centre, which the Kazakh Government will be hosting in
In June 2017, Ukraine ratified the Treaty between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Cooperation in the Field of Protection and Sustainable Development of the Dniester River Basin so that the Treaty can enter into force. The ratification law was
Despite development risks, an intensified cross-sectoral cooperation could have amplified economic benefits for countries of the transboundary Drina River Basin, mainly shared by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia. Basin-wide coordination to prioritize investments, taking into account
For all the countries sharing the Sava River Basin (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia), hydropower is a major source of energy, sometimes the main source (i.e., in Montenegro and in Croatia). Collectively, hydropower in from the Sava River constitutes 11% of the
On 22 November 2016, on the initiative of the current Council President (Senegal), for the first time the United Nations Security Council held an open debate on water, peace and security. In his opening remarks, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted the role of the UNECE Convention on the
In the pan-European region, diarrhoeal diseases still cause an estimated 14 deaths per day due to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene. Renewed momentum is therefore needed to address these persisting challenges. An ambitious programme of work aimed at addressing these is to be adopted this
UNECE and partners have just launched two new initiatives to protect the resources of the Drin River Basin, a region rich in biodiversity and home to 1.5 million people who rely on the river’s resources for drinking water, agriculture, fisheries, industry and hydropower.On 16 December 2015 in
Three hundred and fifty participants from more than 74 countries gathered in Budapest from 17 to 19 November 2015 for the seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) in
On 7 October 2015 the Ukrainian parliament passed a law accepting the amendment to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) opening the Convention to accession by all United Nations Member States. This was the final
Every summer, Stockholm becomes the world’s water capital during World Water Week, which is being celebrated from 23 to 28 August this year.Organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), this is the largest annual gathering of approximately 3,000 water professionals, who come
On 29 July 2015, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia deposited its instrument of accession to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), including the amendments to the Convention that allow accession by countries
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have pressing water quantity and quality issues regarding the shared resources of the Chu and Talas Basins. During the difficult dry year of 2014 both countries had problems with the water supply from the two rivers. In addition, the two countries estimate the level of
Serhiy Kurykin, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, and Lazar Chirica, Deputy Minister of Environment of the Republic of Moldova, met today in Kyiv to launch the Strategic Framework for Adaptation to Climate Change for the Dniester Basin.The Strategic Framework will
Jordan has decided to study the implications of joining the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), launching the process on 10 March 2015 with a national workshop on “
On 30 and 31 October 2014, Belarus and Lithuania negotiated a bilateral technical protocol on transboundary water cooperation for the shared Neman River Basin, facilitated by UNECE and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Belarus, in the framework of the project “River Basin
On 23 June 2014, Montenegro joined the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) and the amendments to the Convention that allow accession by countries outside the UNECE
On 19 and 20 June 2014, experts and representatives from environmental authorities in Belarus, Lithuania and the Kaliningrad oblast of the Russian Federation met in Vilnius to discuss the results of the draft strategic framework for basin adaptation in the Neman Basin, as well as options for
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) can be a source of inspiration for progress in the management of shared surface waters and groundwaters in the Arab region and
The 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (United Nations Watercourses Convention) will enter into force on 17 August 2014. The accession by Viet Nam to the United Nations Watercourses Convention on 19 May 2014 triggered its entry
On 3 April in Dushanbe, Tajikistan the Inter-State Commission on Sustainable Development (ICSD) composed of Ministers of the Environment of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan adopted a decision inviting UNECE to provide assistance to the institutional and legal