OSCE Office to hold workshop on managing water resources of the Sava river basin

BRCKO, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 15 October 2004 - An OSCE workshop aimed at improving water resource management of the Sava river will be held in Brcko from 18 to 20 October.

The aim is to create a network of local actors who will share their knowledge in tackling common problems such as access to fresh water and pollution prevention.

The event, entitled "Ensuring the quality and quantity of fresh water in the Sava River Basin," is organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

Prior to the 1990s, the entire Sava river basin fell within the boundaries of Yugoslavia and was managed through national institutions. Today the river passes through four countries. The Sava river is a tributary of the Danube that starts in Slovenia, crosses Croatia, then forms the latter's border with Bosnia and Herzegovina before entering Serbia and Montenegro and joining the Danube in Belgrade.

At the workshop, Djordje Stefanovic, Secretary of the Interim Commission for the Sava River Basin, will explain the basic elements of the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin, signed and ratified by four countries.

"Closer co-operation between local authorities and civil society should help establish a cross-country mechanism to oversee the exchange of information, co-operation and joint projects and share best practices," said Slawomir Klimkiewicz of the Brcko Office of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Through the creation of a network of training centres targeting local actors, we can share information with decision-makers and provide them with a range of possible solutions," said Berta Pesti of UNITAR.

Representatives of the Brcko District, the municipalities of Bihac, Bijelina, Banja Luka, Doboj, Bosanska Gradiska, Sarajevo, Tuzla, Visegrad and Zvornik, from Sarajevo and Zenica-Doboj Cantons as well as leading environmental NGOs will take part in the workshop.

Similar workshops will also be organized in Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro. Transboundary aspects of water management will be discussed at a regional meeting which will pave the way to cross border co-operation and the development of a regional strategy.