The “Sustainable Integrated Management of International River Corridors in the Southeast European Countries” Project began in October 2012 and was implemented for a period of 24 months through a partnership involving 26 different relevant institutions in the field of water management from 11 countries in the region of Southeast Europe.
The vulnerability of river basins due to unsustainable use, increased anthropogenic impacts and growing problems of the occurrence of more frequent and pronounced floods and droughts caused by climate change, resulted in continuous changes in morphology, increased pollution of watercourses and degradation of aquatic habitats, and also conflicts in the use of land. The greatest pressures in river basins occur along the river corridors, which is a challenge to constant efforts in the sustainable use of waters and coastal land.
The main objective of the project entitled: “Sustainable Integrated Management of International River Corridors in the Southeast European Countries”, funded by ERDF and IPA funds, was to establish and strengthen the multi-sectoral network of stakeholders sharing the international river corridor territory in order to gain knowledge on planning and implementing processes for integration of existing sectoral policies, plans and programs in order to reach consensus on integrative management of international river corridors, taking into account both the nature development and the conservation interest.
Specific project objectives:
Development of a common approach for the establishment of a common framework for integrative management of international river corridors;
Application of the aforementioned common approach on the Drava River International Corridor;
Implementation of the internationally agreed measures under the Drava Governance Framework in 5 pilot areas in 5 countries belonging to the Drava Basin;
To use the experience of applying the common concept achieved for the Drava International River Corridor, with the aim of promoting a common approach among stakeholders in Southeast European countries by initiating similar International River Basin Management Frameworks on 5 other international river corridors (Bodrog, Prut, Soča, Neretva and Vjoša);
To improve the international and cross-sectoral cooperation of the existing commissions responsible for management of the saidinternational river corridors, thereby including them in the process of development of the Framework for Integrative Management of International River Corridors;
To assist in the implementation of relevant EU Directives, in particular the Water Framework Directive, the Floods Directive, the Habitats Directive, the Birds Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive;
To increase capacity and raise stakeholder awareness along the International River Corridor on the importance of a cross-border and cross-sectoral approach to sustainable integrative river corridor management through the organization of trainings, workshops and seminars aimed at strengthening of administrative capacity.
LIST OF PROJECT PARTNERS:
| Name | Country |
| Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia | Slovenia |
| Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation | Slovenia |
| Soča Valley Development Centre | Slovenia |
| Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, Division II/4, Nature and Species | Austria |
| Regional Government of Carinthia, Department 8 -Environment, Water and Nature Protection | Austria |
| National Institute for Environment | Hungary |
| South-Transdanubian Water Management Directorate | Hungary |
| Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, Department of Hydraulic Engineering | Italy |
| Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute | Slovakia |
| National Administration “Romanian Waters” | Romania |
| Hydro Engineering Institute Sarajevo | B&H |
| Institute for Spatial Planning of the Koprivnica-Križevci County | Croatia |
| State Institute for Nature Protection | Croatia |
| HRVATSKE VODE, Legal entity for water management | Croatia |
| Albanian Geological Survey | Albania |
| World Wide Fund for Nature Austria | Austria |
| Jaroslav Cerni Institute for the Development of Water Resources | Serbia |
| Ministry of Infrastructure and Spatial Planning | Slovenia |
| International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River | Austria |
| International Sava River Basin Commission | Croatia |
| UNESCO Venice Office -Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe | Italy |
| Drava Power Plants Maribor | Slovenia |
| Ministry of environment and water | Bulgaria |
| Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Water Administration | Albania |
| Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea -Department for Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Energy | Italy |
| Secretariat to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes | Switzerland |