The 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention (MOP) took place from 23rd to 25th October 2024, in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was holded by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia, and in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Secretariat of the Water Convention.
The Convention on Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) was adopted in Helsinki in 1992 and entered into action in 1996. It’s an unique instrument that has been for more than three decades promoting the sustainable management of shared water ressources, the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs; especially SDG 6.5), and the prevention of conflicts.
- The Water Convention brings together 26 signatories and 55 parties.
This meeting reaffirmed the crucial role of transboundary water cooperation for peace and sustainable development. It was bringing together more than 500 participants from 100 countries, on several topics such as: source-to-sea, climate change adaptation, surface waters and groundwater, montoring, assessment, data-sharing and financing water cooperation.
This Water Convention meeting showed that transboundary cooperation is essential for climate adaptation and mitigation, to reduce water conflicts, for sustain ecosystems and to strengthen sustainable development.
INBO’s activities
The International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) took part in the MOP10 by organizing a side-event in partnership with the African Network of Basin Organizations (ANBO) and the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Network of Basin Organizations (EECCA-NWO).
- “From incubation to financing for adaptation: developing water & climate projects in transboundary basins“, on Thursday 24th October, 1:30pm to 2:45pm.
Greater frequency and intensity of floods, droughts, unpredictable rainfall patterns…
Africa is one of the regions most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on the water cycle. This session focused on how to boost the development of projects of adaptation to climate change in basins.
- Master of Ceremony: Dr. Eric Tardieu, Secretary General, International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO)
- Panel:
- Ms. Birgit Vogel, Executive Secretary, International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR)
- Mr. David Mlote, Legal officer, Lake Basin Commission Victoria (LVBC)
- Ms. Kathia Havens, Program Analyst, World Bank
- Mr. Mtchera Johannes Chirwa, Acting Director, Water Development and Sanitation Department, African Development Bank
- Conclusion: Ms. Dinara Ziganshina, Secretary, Network of Water Management Organizations of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA-NWO) and Head of the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Commission for Water in Central Asia (SIC ICWC)