Consultation Meeting on Integrated Management of the extended Drin River Basin

The Albanian Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Water Administration, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Global Water Partnership Mediterranean (GWP-Med), are jointly organizing a Consultation Meeting on Integrated Management of the extended Drin River Basin on Monday, 24 November 2008, in Tirana, Albania.

The event is organized in the framework of the Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process and the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourse and International Lakes (Water Convention). The Meeting contributes to and supports the implementation of the GEF Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Large Marine Ecosystems (GEF SPM) and the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI).

The watershed of the Drin River can be considered as the "connecting body" of an extended system that includes Prespa, Ohrid and Shkoder Lakes and the Drin and Buna/Bojana Rivers, linking them into a single ecosystem of major importance.

The Meeting aims to discuss challenges, needs and potentials towards Integrated Water Resources Management in the Drin. Furthermore the Meeting will elaborate on possible synergies for promoting cooperation among competent players on the matter.

More specifically, the Meeting will provide the opportunity to:
-  Exchange information among national competent authorities and key international actors regarding:
    - the current status of water resources management in the Basin and
    - the on-going and planned initiatives and projects related to integrated water resources management in the Basin;
-  Sound opinions, interests and needs from the key stakeholders in the Basin and identify challenges for promoting IWRM planning and application;
-  Identify synergies as well as ways of coordination towards transboundary cooperation for the integrated management of the Basin.

Targeted representatives of key stakeholders in the Drin Basin, including competent governmental institutions of the riparian countries, regional authorities, international organizations and institutions, NGOʼs, etc. will be invited to participate.

It is our pleasure to invite you to participate in this event.

Travel and accommodation expenses for participants coming from the Drin basin riparian countries will be covered by the organizers.

We would appreciate if you could let us know whether you will be able to attend until 3 November 2008 by returning the attached registration form by email (dimitris@gwpmed.com) or fax (0030 210 33 17 127).