Title

Transboundary: The Drin Coordinated Action - Towards an Integrated Transboundary Water Resources Management
Country
Albania Greece Kosovo Montenegro North Macedonia
Summary

A multi-stakeholder process was initiated in 2008 for the establishment of a shared vision for the sustainable management of the Drin Basin. The Drin Dialogue was completed in 2011 and a Memorandum of Understanding was later signed by the five riparian nations and the Drin Action Plan was developed. This Case Study discusses the steps in this successful transboundary water management initiative.
Related IWRM Tools
  • Transboundary Organisations (
    B3.01
    )
  • Basin Organisations (
    B3.04
    )
  • Communities of Practice (
    B4.03
    )
  • Shared Vision Planning and Collaborative Modelling (
    C2.02
    )
  • Facilitation and Mediation (
    C6.02
    )
Keywords
Transboundary cooperation Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Drin River Basin Balkans
Lessons Learned

Common understanding that nobody wins from the business-as-usual scenario is the basis for initiating cooperation including a wide recognition of existing challenges and the need for solutions. The enabling environment for action was catalysed and sustained by independent international institutions.

High-level political will and practical engagement of the administration is a must: the governments of the Drin riparians, represented at high level, were the key political drivers from the beginning and involving the competent ministries in all activities was key.

Multi-stakeholder consultation processes are essential tools for enhancing ownership and facilitating decision-making: the Drin Dialogue provided the opportunity to national institutions, joint commissions, local authorities, users, academics, civil society and the private sector at all levels to express their views.

An honest and step-by-step consensus-building process among riparians is necessary to establish a culture of cooperation and initial institutional mechanisms: due to no pre-defined outcomes, the Drin riparians understood that there was no hidden agenda or threat to their interests.

A solid knowledge base and shared prioritization of issues are necessary for advancing consultation: the situation analysis provided the science-informed background to generate discussions within the Drin Dialogue and enabled consensus on the key issues and direction of managerial activities.
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