UNECE and the Water Convention: Session 5 Financing River Basin Management Planning countries

Presented at the 11th roundtable on financing water in Brussels, Belgium on 30-31 May, 2024.
Intervention by Tamara Kutonova, National Policy Dialogue Programme Manager, Environment Division, UNECE

1. Session 5
Financing River Basin
Management Planning
countries
31 May 2024, 9.45- 11.00 am (CET)
Brussels (Belgium)
Ms. Francesca Bernardini
Chief Transboundary Cooperation Section
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
OECD’s 11th Roundtable on Financing Water:
regional meeting on the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries

2. Outline
•Transboundary waters: a vital roleaccrossthe pan-Europeanregion
•Main challenges to the financingof transboundarywater cooperation
and management
•The Water Convention and the National Policy Dailogues offera
spaceto advocatefor the mobilization of financigalresourcesfor
river basin management planning
•Strong politicalprocessescan help to unlockfunding
•Key policyrecommendationsfromUNECE

3. Transboundary water cooperationand management lay
the groundfor sustainabledevelopment..
•Cooperation over shared water resources are crucial to achieve SDG 6 and cross-
cutting for all other SDGs (2, 7, 13, 14, 16);
•In the pan-Europeanregionincludingthe EaPcountries, transboundarywaters
playa key rolefor diverse ecosystemsand contributein manywaysto socio-
economicdevelopment;
•Water scarcity, chronic droughts, perennial flooding, rapid population growth in
certain areas and urbanisationtrend put these water resources and environment
at risk, cooperation is needed!
•According to 2021 report on SDG indicator 6.5.2 (measuring the transboundary
water cooperation): out of 129 countries reporting, 76 indicated “resources
constraints” as one of the main challenges faced in cooperating on transboundary
waters.

4. Main challenges to the mobilizationof financialresources
for transboundarywater cooperationand management
The benefits of
transboundary
cooperation are not
always known.
Transboundary
water cooperation
and basin
development
activities and
projects are often
perceived as
particularly risky in a
transboundary
setting.
Countries face financial
capacity constraints,
especially under economic
turmoil and pandemic times.

5. Financial needs related with transboundary water
cooperation, management and development
CORE COSTS PROGRAMME COSTS
Costs of meetings of the RBO’s governing bodies, such
as ministerial meetings, technical meetings (including
preparation, documentation, etc.).
Staff costs of the secretariat: both permanent and
temporary staff as well as consultants who are not part
of specific river basin management and development
projects.
Costs of buildings, offices, office equipment, cars and
other items required for the physical functioning of the
RBO (mainly its secretariat).
Costs of communication and information dissemination
(to member states as well as basin stakeholders).
River basin monitoring (water quantity, water quality,
ecological health, fisheries, socioeconomic factors,
etc.), the required equipment, information technology
(IT) systems, river basin management software, etc.
Preparation of strategic plans and related documents
(on shared visions, basin management plans, etc.) and
processes (stakeholder consultations, etc.).
Implementation of strategic plans and the specific
activities defined in them (including monitoring their
implementation).
Development and implementation of infrastructure
projects, especially in the context of basin management
and investment plans.
Management and maintenance of infrastructure
projects (if owned and managed by the joint body or
any other international entity of the basin states).

6. The Water Convention (servicedby UNECE) offersopportunitiesto
advocatefor more fundingand financingfor the implementationof river
basin management plans:
Dedicatedworkon facilitatingfinancingunderthe
Convention : developmentof guidance documents,
organizationof interactive events to discusschallenges
and for countries and RBOs to connectfurtherwiththe
financingcommunity.
National Policy Dialogues (NPDs) supportedby
UNECE as part of itsWater Convention programme of
work, aimsto support policyand practicalworkand
thereforecreatesthe enablingconditions to attract
financialresourcesfor transboundarywater
management project .

7. How can stronggovernanceand politicalprocesseshelp
unlockfunding? (1)(Exemples fromthe pan-Europeanregion)
GEF Strategic Action Plan and River Basin management plan
developedfor managingtransboundarywater resources in
the Dniesterand Chu Talas river basins offeredclearstarting
points to identifypossible projectssupport and investment
opportunitiesfor interestedtechnicaland financialpartners.
Investment concept developedunderNPD and endorsedby
the Chu Talas Commission enabledto unlockco-financing
through15-mln EUR grant(EU) and 65 mln EUR loan (EBRD)
for the Chu Talas irrigation canal project in Kyrgistan. In
Kazakhstan, an investment concept on fertigationiscurrently
beingdiscussedwithIFIs.
Chu-Talas basin shared by
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
Dniester basin shared by Moldova
and Ukraine

8. How can stronggovernanceand politicalprocesseshelp
unlockfunding? (2) (Exemple fromoutsidethe pan-Europeanregion)
The Senegalo-MauritanianAquiferBasin sharedbetween
Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and the Gambia:
Initial politicalprocess and dialogue betweenthe 4
ripariancountries enabledthanksto the Water
Convention’sconveningpower to identifycommon
challenges and opportunitiesaroundthe mgmtof the
SMAB
Ministerialdeclarationsignedand MoUbetweenthe
RBOs(OMVS/OMVG), regionalworkinggroup created,
set up of an action plan to ensure the cooperative
management of the acquifer
Basis to gettechnicaland financialpartnersinterested
in shopping in (World Bank, EU, Italy..)

9. Key policyrecommendations:
•Transboundary water cooperation is key to achieve SDG 6 and the implement the Water Framework
Directive. International framework and intergovernmental platform such as the Water Convention can
help identify opportunities to increase financial support to cooperation;
•Coordinationbetween key stakeholders, establishment of legal and regulatory frameworks at national
and basin level can improve the enabling environment to secure and attract funding and financing for
the management of shared water resources;
•Despite some challenges, domestic budgetary resources from riparian states is and should be the
primary financial source to support river basin organization and the implementation of RBMP as it can
help securing complementary external public financing and funding resources;
•Key strategic documents such as joint Strategic Action Programmes or RBMPs should be further used
by countries and RBOs to approach and work with technical and financial partners to identify
investments opportunities and therefore accelerate TWC and management;
•Funding and financing for transboundary water cooperation and management must be increased to
realize the benefits across multiple sectors therefore contributing to the achievement of several SDGs.

10. MORE INFORMATION
Contact: Ms Francesca Bernardini ([email protected])
WEB unece.org/env/water
EMAIL [email protected]
RESOURCES
www.unece.org/env/water/publications/pub.html
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